Dark Desires Part I
by ffbeginner22
Summary: Everybody has a Dark and Light side, even the good witch, Lily Evans. However her 5th year will have her face her deepest, darkest desires of her heart.
1. Prologue

Dark Desires

**Prologue**

_No..._

She kept gazing into the mirror.

_It can't be..._

The more she saw, the more frightened she became

_That's not what I want..._

Then she saw it, on her reflection's right arm...

_NO!_

With a wave of her wand, she covered up the acursed glass and bolted out of the Room.

_That is NOT what I want! _Lily Evans thought desperatly. _I don't want to be a Death Eater!_

At last she came to the end of the seventh floor staircase and began weeping on the bottom step.

It was not just seeing the Dark Mark on her arm that made Lily Evans break into tears, it was the other images in the Mirror Erised: Lily standing over her sister, Petunia, with a big smirk on her face while the figure scrubbed the cobbled stone steps of a grand palace with a scrubbrush, dressed in a worn-out brown tunic dress and apron; Lily brewing poisons and distributing them to Voldemort's agents while they gave her adoring look; Lily raising her wand at an old Muggle man who she saw abuse another Muggleborn witch, and laughing vindictivly at his pain-filled cries while the sleeve of her black robes parted to show her Mark...

_ Stop it! _she thought while putting pressure on the temples of her head with her fists. _It's a lie! The Mirror lied! _

But did it?

**Chapter 1: The Evans Sisters**

It all started on Monday, August the 22th of 1974, the summer after her fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was 5:30 pm and fifteen year old Lily Evans was about to head out of her home in Westminister and go to the park, that is set the middle between Spinner's End and here, when her older sister, Petunia, came from the kitchen and grabbed her younger sibling roughly by the arm.

"Ouch!" Lily cried, turning away from the door and facing a very livid big sister. "T-Petunia! What's the idea? If you want to say something before I leave all you had to do was-"

"Shut up!" Petunia screeched, letting go of Lily. "Look at what you've done to the carpet!"

Pointing at the staircase and toward the door mat Lily saw only saw small disturbances in the otherwise smooth surface of the dark burgundy carpet. The marks were made by the sandals that Lily got for a welcome back present from her parents, and they just ruffled the carpet ever so slightly. Petunia was very picky about how things should be put in order in the house. Lily was aware of this and usually placed her shoes in the coat closet next to the door so she could slip them on later.

Lily looked back up at her sister warily. She never could understand Petunia's obsession with cleanliness. Must be a neurotic disorder or something.

"Sorry Petunia," Lily replied. "I forgot to put my sandals in the closet. But don't worry, I'll smooth it out when I get back from meeting Se-"

_SMACK!_

Lily's head whipped around and looked at her sister completely shocked! Petunia, no matter how overcompulsive about the littlest things, had never slapped Lily for fear that she would get hexed. (She did not know that Hogwarts students were not allowed to perform magic until they turned seventeen.) But something in her eyes burned with a deep hatred for the red head in front of her, and she was not going to take it anymore.

Petunia then pushed Lily out the door with such force that the poor girl landed on the hard path to the sidewalk and the purse that she had spilled it contents of Muggle and wizard currency, chapstick and hair ties all over the ground.

Tears streaming from her eyes at her older sibling's abrupt cruelty, Lily looked up at her and asked "Why? Why did you do that?"

Petunia smirked viciously at her, "Because I have had enough of you! My boyfriend, Vernon Dursley, is coming over today and I want everything to be perfect. However, I can't have _you _and your _abnormality _around here to scare him away from me. So, take your play money, find that piece of trash, Snape, and don't come back here until mother and father come home around... 9 tonight."

Before closing the door on Lily, Petunia said coldly, "It would be better if you didn't come home at all, but they would just miserable if their favorite little _freak _didn't come home. So I'll just have to wait until you decide to move out and shack up with one of your many admirers, or until I'm able to throw you out, whatever comes first."

With that the blonde tormentor slammed the door in her sister's crying face and went back to straightening up the house before her guest arrived.

Trying to stop more tears from coming and wiping away the ones that were still on her face, Lily quickly gathered up her things and was very thankful that she kept her wand hidden in an inside pocket of her shirt, so that it would not be broken by her sister.

Standing up to her full height and back erect Lily made her way onto the sidewalk and toward the park. She hoped that, for once, she could get there first before Severus and wash her face off with the water from the fountain. She did not want her long-time friend (and almost crush) to see her in such a state. He never did like Petunia, and if he knew what she just did to her, he would be furious and risk breaking the Restriction of Underage Wizardry to curse the blonde senseless, or worse.

_"She deserves it anyway for being such a stuck up, prissy, compulsive, jealous and generally horrid Mug-"_

"No," Lily rethought quickly. "Not 'Muggle', 'person'. Just because she was born without magic doesn't mean she deserves to be cursed for it."

_"Ah, but that IS her curse. She has always been jealous of you, and it isn't just because you have power, it's also because you are everything she isn't. She's not only jealous of you, she also HATES you!"_

"She doesn't hate me! We're sisters, we're supposed to care about each other no matter what."

Yet, even Lily knew, deep down that her darker voice was right. The Evans sisters were completely different, and not just because one had magic and the other did not. In fact, from an outsider's point of view, they could not have been related at all.

Petunia Diana Evans was not only a compulsive neat-freak, but she was also gossipy ("Did you hear about [insert name here] and that-"), materialistic ("If it isn't designer or brand-new it deserves to be in the trash"), a picky eater ("I will not eat that! It's too fattening!"), vain ("I refuse to go out with even the smallest pimple on my face!"), has hardly a sense of humor, and uncommonly cruel.

Once the family went out for shopping a poor woman with a baby on her back and screaming toddler riding in an old shopping cart passed by them and asked for a little bit of money for groceries. Lily and her parents, Harry and Adriana Evans, gave her what added up to a month's worth of grocery money willingly, but Petunia, once her family was a little ways off, took back half of the money and stuffed it in her purse while snarling at the tear-struck woman "If you want money, _get a job_ and don't take from real hardworking people". Then, with a satified smirk, caught up with the family at the car. The next day she spent the money on a facial and some new, high marked dresses.

Lily Aurora Evans, on the otherhand, was a complete opposite to her sister. She was adventurous, polite, hardworking, loyal, generous, outspoken, compassionate, always tried to see the good in others, and uncommonly kind. Which is why she never understood why people always brought down those who were less fortunate, or always gossipped about what trend was better than the last one.

Besides the personalities, and that Lily was a highly accomplished witch, she and Petunia also greatly differed in looks.

Petunia was tall, skinny, long necked and had a horse-like face and teeth to match. Her blonde hair was almost ghostly pale, which was a few shades to light to her father's pale gold hair, and her eyes were practically the same color as her hair, which was still lighter to her mother's silvery eyes. Her skin was a pale pink and lacked natural color around the face. She had thin, pale lips and (as far as the appropriate curves were conserned) she was nearly flat at the chest and hips. She tried to bring out whatever shades were hidden by applying heavy amounts of make up.

Lily was petite with a swan-like neck and a full-figured with more than enough appropriate curves around the chest and hips. Her deep red hair was an intensified ruby version of her mother's hair, and her green almond-shaped eyes were an intensified emerald version of her father's eyes. She had rose pink lips, porceilin pale skin that held a natural color all its own, and hardly wore make up unless it was for special occations.

Yes, from an outsider's view, they were absolutly nothing alike in the fields appearance, behavior, and their representive boarding schools' popularity circuit.

At Hogwarts, Lily was practically the epitome of beauty, brains, and talent. Her grades were above excellent; she was the president of the Charms, Potions, and Dueling clubs since she excelled in both the written and practical applications of Charms, Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts; she became the new Dueling champion of Gryffindor House for the third year in a row just last school year, and she just got her letter that informed her she was the new Prefect for Gryffindor.

Many students marvelled and adored her talents as a capable witch, and were always entertained with her constant rejection of the infamous James Potter. Even her sharp thinking and clever wits earned her some respect with the Slytherins.

As for her beauty, she would hear the whispered theories of how she became so lovely to look at.

_** "She must be part Siren. You know how rare they are, and her voice, even when she's yelling at James Potter, is practically musical!" one would say.**_

_** "Siren nothing! That babe is some sort of Veela hybrid. No other way about it!" his friend would argue.**_

_** "You're both wrong!" a third would say. "She is an angel come down from Heaven itself! No one else is that pure and wonderful!"**_

_** "Amen!" all three would chorus.**_

There was even a rumor going around about a "Lily Evans Fan Club" being held for most of the boys from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. (Gryffindors were not allowed because Lily was constantly surrounded by them.) Even James Potter was not responsible for the secret club rumors.

"When I want to worship Evans, I do it out in the open!" he would say. "My eternal devotion would be more than enough for any club."

At Petunia's school, St. Laura's School for Promising Young Ladies, Petunia was an excellent student that excelled in the courses of Alebra, Botany, and Advanced Writing. She was a member of the school newspaper, "Laura's Letter Box", and part of the school's Beautification Group.

She was, however, not the school's most popular girl. On the contrary, she was the least popluar and the least liked of all the girls there. Even her "friends", Dawn Patterman, Ellen Guards, and Catrina Cramer, did not like her all that much. The only reason they stayed with her was because she always got them expensive gifts (but they had to make sure theirs was just as expensive), and because Petunia always gossipped about anybody who did not agree with her views, so they did not want to be on the recieving end.

Yes, Lily knew all of this and agreed (secretly) with her darker half that everybody would be better off without Petunia in their lives. She also was very tempted to do the hexing herself...

"No!" Lily thought as she took a sip from the fountain after she washed her face. She would _never_, under any circuimstances, hex or bespell her sister. "She may be cruel, but she is still my sister. Regardless of anything else, I will always love and respect her."

"Lily?"

Startled, Lily whirled around and saw the faded gray shirt of her old friend, Severus Snape. She noticed her got taller since he turned fifteen last December, and had to look up a few inches to meet his black eyes.

Taking him in she noticed he was wearing the new trainers she bought him for his birthday/Christmas present since both days were practically in the same week. (He was born on the twenty-second.) She also noticed he was wearing his father, Tobias Snape's, old jeans, which were frayed at the knees and bottoms, but still in good condition.

"Sev, you scared me," Lily said with a giggle before enveloping him in a hug. "I guess I was just so deep in thought I didn't hear you come up."

"That's pretty bad, coming from the Gryffindor Dueling Champion three years running," Severus said with a smile.

At that Lily playfully looked offended and lightly slapped his shoulders, "Even the best Duelists have their off days, Snape, and if I were you I'd be more careful when you start to sneak up on someone. That someone may just land you in St. Mungo's."

"Of course, My Lady Lion," he added with a sarcastic bow.

At that they both laughed and went into the middle of the park where their favorite spot, a glade where the river was flowing close by, to sit down and talk. Lily was the only one who could ever make Severus happy, she just did not know that.

Once they sat down and started conversing Severus took the time to drink in Lily's appearance. She was wearing black sandals with black Athenian straps that came halfway up her calves with a criss-cross design over the foot, and the sole thick at the heel so it gave her some height. She was also wearing a jean skirt that flared out at the knees, and a small, dark green purse that matched her eyes and her simple spaghetti strap top. Her hair was unbound, and flowed down her back and over her shoulder in a flowing river of rubies, and her lips had the distinct of cherries from her chapstick.

**"Every year she becomes more beautiful than the last,"** he thought fondly while listening to her talk about the summer homework they got (and completed in two weeks). **"If my dormmates knew I get to spend every summer with the Hogwarts' Dream Girl they would be...What is that?"**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Crying and Healing**

As they were talking Severus thought he saw something red on Lily's pale face. At first he thought it was just a heat-blush, it has been getting hot out lately, but on closer inspection he saw, on her right cheek...

"Lily", he said in a dark voice, "what is this?"

Before Lily could turn her head toward the shade of the trees Severus took her face in his hands and examined her as one who examine a fragile piece of jewelry, carefully and delicatly.

A few seconds later Severus kept her face firmly, yet gently, in his hands and looked straight into her emerald green eyes with his obsedian black.

"Who did this to you?" anger, concern, and affection seeping into every word. "Who was so stupid enough to strike you like this? Was it your angelic sister, Petunia?" The last question was covered in sarcasm and fury.

Without saying anything Lily's eyes began to fill with tears and she buried her face into his chest. She started to cry heavily and Severus wrapped his arms around her as she drew closer to his body. She cried and cried, lamenating everything Petunia did to her a short twenty minutes ago.

During this time Severus's mind was in a jumble of thoughts and feelings. He hated Petunia ever since he first saw her, and hated her even more for what she did to the goddess weeping in his arms. He also had a deep sense of pleasure knowing that Lily was crying out to him and letting him hold her petite figure so close she was almost in his lap. He could detect a mixed scent of cherries, fresh cut grass and honeysuckle radiating from her skin.

He was also feeling hopeful, and for two reasons. One was that this would bring them closer together and make them more than best friends. The second thought was that this would help Lily understand that all Muggles were like Petunia, and Tobias, and that they need to be dealt with accordingly.

After a while she lifted her head away from his chest and croaked out a small voice, "Sorry about that," she said looking at the front of his shirt, which was soaked black with tears. "I didn't want you to see me so upset like that, which was why I was at the fountain when you found me, and I didn't want you to see the mark she gave me."

"_You_ have nothing to be sorry for," Severus said still holding her in his arms. "_She _is the one that needs to apologize. _She _is the one who hurt and belittled you, and, literally, threw you out of your own house just so she could be alone with her _boyfriend_."

"I know, Severus, I'm just as angry about the whole thing," Lily admitted with a small, sad nod, meeting his eyes.

Suddenly Severus heard the faintest whispers from Lily, but her lips, which were pouting, full and trembling slightly, were not moving.

Flicking his eyes back on her's he heard them again, this time louder as though she were arguing with herself.

_ "He's right of course. 'Tuney' dearest needs to apologize, or, better yet, pay for what she did. That insolent, worthless, hypocrite of a Mug-"_

"No! I admit, she was horrid for what she did, but I'm not getting myself in trouble with the Ministry just because she was playing the irate housewife."

_ "That makes sense. Why get yourself in trouble just because Ms. I-want-to-be-a-witch-but-can't-because-I'm-a-talentless-Muggle can't control her obsessiveness for so called 'perfection'. You probably could help with that, once you turn seventeen..."_

"Again, no! Even when I do turn seventeen I'm never, EVER going to use magic on her, especially one of the Unforgivables!"

When he broke eye contact and the voices stopped he could not believe what he had just discovered. Not only was he starting to perform Legilimancy without a wand (which was an extremely rare feat for underage wizards even with wands), but he also heard Lily's deepest, darkest thoughts. Thoughts that actually considered using Dark magic, and on a Muggle no less! Those hopeful thoughts that he had earlier came back to him a hundred fold and made him happier than he thought possible.

"What are you thinking Sev?" Lily asked suspeciously.

"I'm still thinking that Petunia needs nothing short of a good _Furnacules_ curse during her boyfriend's visit. That way he can see who she really is under that prissy persona of her's," he responded coldly.

Lily's mouth twitched into what Severus thought was vindictive pleasure at the thought of Petunia's face covered in massive hives and boils, but it ceased its action when she said, "Maybe, but Sev-"

Holding a hand to silence her, Snape continued, "However, I also think you've suffered enough at the memory."

Getting up and bringing Lily with him he took a small, flat jar from his jeans and gave it to her.

"This is a fast-acting Healing Salve", he explained at the questioning look on her face. "Simply put it on the handprint and it will disappear completely, like it never happened."

Nodding at the suggestion Lily went to the bank of the river, knelt down carefully to see her reflection, and applied the Salve to her right cheek. In a few seconds the mark vanished, leaving her face pure and with no evidence of the incident. Smiling she stood up, returned the jar to Severus, and gave him an appreciative hug.

After breaking apart, he took her hand and the young friends made their way out of the glade, toward the fence of the park, and down to an empty curve.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Candle Holders and Cauldrons**

. On the way to the curve the witch and wizard kept giving each other shy looks, but quickly looked away, each with their own thoughts.

Lily's thoughts were filled with a certain, friendly warmth when she kept glances his way. "I'm very fortunate to have Sev as my friend. Even if we are forced to distance ourselves when we're at Hogwarts, I couldn't think of anybody else I would rather talk to about my family. He's a good person, but I wish he would show it more from the shadow he keeps living in."

Severus' thoughts, on the otherhand, were a little more than friendly when he kept stealing glances at the young lady beside him. **"No one manhandles my precious Lily, least of all that teenaged female version of Tobias. When the time comes I'll do more than just give dear Petunia a faceful of boils, I'll probably have her maimed. But, then again, maybe Lily would like to do that herself, or put that Muggle in her place, as the grubby little slave she deserves to become. Maybe that would teach her to mind her superiors."**

When they stopped at the curve Lily turned to Severus and asked, "Exactly where are we going Sev?"

"I just thought that, since you can't go home until around nine tonight, maybe you would like to have a small dinner at The Leaky Cauldron. My treat," he offered hopefully.

"Wait," Lily responded with a smile. "Severus Snape, _the _Severus Snape, the sarcastic, stoic and shadowy Severus Snape, is asking _me_ to a dinner date?"

Blushing slightly he retorted, "Well, if you feel _that_ way about it I guess I'll just walk you home and leave you on the garden bench."

"Of course I don't feel that way," she said with a giggle. "I would lo- like to have dinner with you. Just don't expect me to let you pay for the whole meal."

"Did I almost say _love_?"

** "She almost said **_**love**_**. She came close to saying that she would **_**love**_** to have dinner with me,"** Snape thought with excitement bubbling in his stomach.

"Okay," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "If you insist, we'll split the bill."

"Alright," Lily replied with a small smile.

_"It's about time he finally asked. Maybe we could get a small table in a dark corner of the pub and do some 'real' conversing."_

"Yes, maybe... No, wait! He's just my friend! My best friend, in fact, and it would be really ackward if we started becoming intimate."

_"Why not? You've had a crush on him for some time now, and even you can tell he's feeling the same way."_

Before Lily could argue further Severus stuck his right arm out and a purple, triple-decker bus instantly appeared close to wear they were standing. Painted in gold, curvy writing were the words "_The Knight Bus_".

Out of the doors came a strong, almost elderly voice from the driver's seat, "Welcome to The Knight Bus, the mode of transportation for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Ernie, and I will be your conductor and driver for this...evening."

At that moment a middle-aged man, possibly in his late-forties, early-fifties and saw the young duo. However, his eyes, which were behind some thick lensed glasses, were focused on a wary looking Lily and almost did not see an irate Severus.

Politely, but still edging closer to her companion, Lily asked the conductor/driver, "Hello, sir. How much would it be to get two people to the Leaky Cauldron?"

Upon seeing the two teenagers so close Ernie answered, rather crestfallen, "Eleven Sickles each, usually. Is this a one way trip, or do you plan to come back here later?"

"We plan to come back later," Severus answered evenly.

"Okay then, you're in luck," said the driver, much happier. "Since this is a round trip, to London and back, you only have to pay twenty-two Sickles for both rides."

"That is a good deal, Sev," Lily whispered. But just to make sure, "Does that mean we only pay the fee once, or do we both pay twenty-two Sickles each?"

"You pay once, since it is usually eleven Sickles per passenger, and only one has to pay not both," Ernie confirmed.

"Very well then," Snape complied.

So Severus gave the driver twenty-two Sickles from his moleskin wallet, and they both borded the bus. However, Lily gave Severus her eleven Sickles, glaring at him lightly when he looked like he would object.

"I would have had to pay that amount on my own away, so consider it a 'thank you' gift," she said while seating next to him on a plushy brown loveseat by the window on the first floor. Oddly enough, Severus grabbed hold of a candle-holder attached to the wall and then held Lily's hand in his.

"Trust me on this," he said while she blushed a light pink.

Suddenly the Bus jolted forward and Lily became very grateful that Severus held on to the candle-holder while she clasped his hand a little tighter. They were going at nearly break-neck speed past house, mailboxes and across the two-car bridge to London.

All the while Lily tried to keep a comfortable distance between her friend and herself, but with every twist and turn she kept getting closer to him. On one very perilous turn, that almost upended the whole bus, she went across the seat and slid in his lap.

Blushing more definately Lily looked into his eyes and whispered, "Sorry."

"No problem," he replied, a blush creeping on his own cheeks.

Finally the bus stopped in front of the Leaky Cauldron and both teenagers got off, and began to go inside just as the bus disappeared with a loud _pop_, Severus holding the door open while Lily walked in first.

Inside the bar was crowded with many customers. Some were returning Hogwarts students finishing their meals and about to part ways. Others were older witches and wizards that were just getting their drinks and celebrating the end of their shifts.

Tom the barman looked up from taking drink orders from a couple of old warlocks at the bar when he heard the bell over the door ring, "Why if it isn't Mr. Severus Snape and Ms. Lily Evans! Welcome! If you will just take a seat over there I will bring you some menus. You're here for dinner I take it?"

"Yes, sir, we are," Lily answered with a smile, as they moved to...

_"A small booth in a dark corner of the pub. How convient..."_

"Shut up. It's just a coincidence."

Once they sat down Lily tried to keep a comfortable distance between herself and Severus. This was hard to do because the booth really was small and intimate. The seat was in an L shape, with soft leather paddings on the seat and back, while the table in front of them was a large square so they could put their food on it without bumping into each other.

Once finished taking the warlocks' orders Tom sent two, handheld chalkboards to their table. When the chalkboards reached them the writing on the black surface changed, first introducing them to the Leaky Cauldron, then quickly filling up with the items being served for dinner, the price for each selection, and the customers' names at the top in different colored chalk- Lily's being pink and Severus' being blue- in their own handwriting.

"Do you see anything you like?" Severus asked while scanning his own menu.

"I'm not really sure," Lily said thoughtfully. "I am feeling a bit hungry, but I don't want to get something too heavy because..."

"Of our return trip on the Knight Bus," he concluded with a smirk.

"Exactly," Lily replied with a laugh. "So, um, how about... the steak and kidney pie with steamed carrots and a small treacle tart for dessert?"

"That sounds good, but you may want to add up the total of the whole lot," Severus said dully, eyes still on the menu. Then he glanced at her with a small smile playing on his lips, "Besides, you _did_ say you would pay for half of the check."

"Oh, right," Lily said with a blush. "Besides, it really would be too heavy for the return trip. Maybe something lighter and more... _conservatively_ priced."

"Maybe."

Just then both of their menus changed, and in bold yellow writing came the announcement:

**Special Dinner Value!**

**Get 2 Orders of The Leaky Cauldron's Own**

**Suet Pudding, with a Side Order of**

**Peas and Carrots, and **

**Large Butterbeers **

**For Only 3 Galleons and 2 Sickles!**

**(No Extra Charge for Drink Refills)**

"That actually sounds pretty good. What do you think, Sev?" Lily asked.

"I think this has actually been our lucky day," Severus responded with a smile.

"I know! First a round trip ride on the Knight Bus for the price of two people, and now a special dinner offer! Assuming if that is what you want, of course," she replied, backtracking a little.

Nodding in agreement, Severus jotted down the order and the menus went back to the bartender, who received them and started preparing the meals.

While waiting for their orders Lily and Severus went into a discussion about the events that had taken place, but most of it was the complaints about the bus ride and the conductor.

"I thought it was really creepy the way he kept looking at me," Lily said with a small shiver going down her spine. "I mean, he looked at me as though I was a piece of meat in a butcher's shop! He's _way_ too old to be eyeing somebody like that."

With an angry look in his eyes Severus elaborted, "I know. It's the same look that most of the other boys in school- Potter mostly- have in their eyes whenever they see you. I think you get enough of that just walking down the halls or something."

"I admit it is flattering, but you're right, I _do_ get enough of that when I'm there. Especially from 'the great James Potter, Quidditch extrodinare'," she replied with a roll of her bright green eyes and a sarcastic smirk. "Though, I also have to admit, it's better than half the looks I get from the other half of the students."

"Of course," he concluded when their meals and drinks arrived at the table.

As they started eating Severus thought about the other girls at Hogwarts that gave Lily different looks. Some, such as her friends, Mary MacDonald, Amelia Bones, and Sheila Finnigan, gave her looks of praise whenever she won an event or accomplished a complex spell. Others, like Narcissia Black- who graduated just last year- gave her a look of deep disgust and constantly had her nose in the air whenever they passed each other, as did many of the other pureblood Slytherin girls (which were not many).

Many other girls, from various Houses and other years, were often seen in groups trying their best to either follow Lily to her classes, ask her questions from what spells she was best at to what beauty products she used, and even try to get some form of memorabilia before she left for break. One girl- so rumor has it- was picked at random from a group of admirers to try to get something of Lily's possession, and was to hide it in a special place for a member of the mysterious fan club to pick up.

However, what disturbed Lily (and Severus), was not the constant looks of worship or hatred from some of the girls. What disturbed them was the speculating, and often crazed, glances of Lily's long-term competitor, Bellatrix Black. Bellatrix was in the same year as Lily, but since Lily's appearence at Hogwarts almost four years ago, Bellatrix's reputation for top duelist and beauty queen was constantly put into question.

Bellatrix Black had a petite, full figure, like Lily's, with long black hair and deep purple eyes. She also came from a wealthy, pureblooded wizarding family, who looked down on people like Lily because she was Muggleborn, even though Lily came from a wealthy Muggle line of knights.

Unlike Lily, whose appearance was always modest and appropriate with no unneccessary amount of skin showing, Bellatrix went all out in her wardrobe. Her skirt was so short that, when she sat down, her underwear was in danger of showing. She wore black fishnet stockings instead of the gray knee socks that students were regulated to wear. She wore her tie loose, or not at all, and kept her shirt unbuttoned from the fourth one up exposing the lacy outline of a bra.

Another thing that made Bellatrix different from Lily- besides being in Slytherin like her older sister Narcissia- was the fact that she used underhanded, and often Dark, magic to try to win her duels. Despite all of this, Lily always managed to beat her in looks, popularity, magic, and intelligence, so Black took every chance she got to try to curse her red-headed rival whenever she passed.

What was not known is that Bellatrix actually respected Lily for her attributes, modesty and her knowledge of how to beat, slow down, or counter her Dark curses. She even considered the fact that Lily might become a valuable ally to the Dark Side, if given the opportunity to corrupt her.

While they were pondering these things and finishing off their meal, Lily looked down at her watch and gasped.

"Sev! It's almost eight thirty! My parents should be home soon, and I don't them to worry," Lily said while preparing to get out of her seat.

Taking a final sip of his butterbeer, Severus looked at her and asked, "Are you sure you want to leave now? Didn't your sister say that they would not be home until nine o'clock?"

"Yes," she said, looking rather sad. "But there is a chance they may come home early and it may take a while for the bus to get here. It's also starting to come a downpour outside," she added, nodding at the window.

It was, indeed, starting to come a downpour. Rain was splashing hard against the windows of the pub, and the wind look like it was whipping through the air as an old newspaper came flying by.

Consenting, Severus got up from the table, then he and Lily paid the bill and went out to flag down the Knight Bus.

When the bus arrived outside of the Leaky Cauldron the rain had gained in force and both teenagers were starting to get soaked. The bus stopped at the door and, from the top of the doorway, a long, purple fabric stretched out to the pub's doorsill allowing the pair to have a little bit of shelter while they climbed on.

As they climbed in Lily looked around and saw that the seats had changed. Instead of the plush evening chairs that were there a few hours ago, there were two rows of beds with purple sheets, comforters and pillows. Attached to the head of the beds were wire baskets that held long, purple umbrellas.

"You can take them with you once you reach your destinations," Ernie said from behind the wheel. "But, once you're inside your homes, they will return to the Bus so others can use them in this devil of a storm."

"Thanks," Lily replied, getting on one of the beds while Severus climbed on the one beside her.

"Alright, here we go!" Ernie cried enthusiastically.

At that Lily and Severus exchanged a look that clearly said, _Oh joy!_, and quickly gripped the bedpoles as the bus started its haphazard journey from London back to Westminister Road and Spinner's End.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: China and Chocolate**

The return trip on the bus was actually more enjoyable than the previous one, almost as if the driver was trying to be careful due to the growing storm. But it was also due to that that Lily was starting to feel drowsy, and within a few minutes was laying her head on the pillow as she took a short nap.

While she was resting Severus looked at her sleeping form, and watched with a mixture of facination, lust, and love with every breath that she took. He could not believe the luck he had today, despite how it all started out with Tobias yelling over his mother, Eileen, as she cowered over the sink washing the dishes, then turning on him as Severus ran out the door and out of the house. It was something he was used to, but it still hurt him knowing that his father would never love or care for him as he had hoped he would. This was something Snape never told anybody, even Lily.

Eventually, the day grew better as Severus found refuge in an old house a few blocks down that he and Lily used to hide in when they were little. They now used the house as a private studying area and brewery for some new potions they created, because it would look suspecious if a Muggle saw them with textbooks that had moving covers and titles written in old runes while a phial with a violet substance was emitting steam from the top. He stayed there and worked on some new spells he had been developing over the summer, and could not wait until school started to try them out.

Soon it was time to meet Lily at the park, as she had written earlier and sent their pet black bat, Reinfield, to 'their house' with the message to meet there at five-forty that evening. Her parents had gone to the cinema to watch a double feature, and Petunia was expecting her boyfriend over and decided to make him dinner. So that left Lily all to himself for the remainder of the day.

What he did not expect was the mark on Lily's face while they talked in the glade. He was used to getting manhandled and bruised, but there was no way he was going to let Lily suffer the same fate, no matter who it was that harmed her. He also did not expect to find out that Lily, the sweet Lily Evans that he knew since he was nine years old, had a darker side to her that called for vengence against her older sibling.

Looking back on that, he did seem to notice that she was also trying to keep a friendly distance between them and kept getting a perculiar look in her eyes, as though she was arguing with herself about something. He just could not place it...

Suddenly the bus jolted to a stop and both the young witch and wizard rolled out of their beds and on the floor between them. When she looked around Lily once again found herself in the lap of Severus Snape, and, once emerald met obsedian again, both of them started to blush.

"Last stop, Westminister Park! Everybody off!" cried the conductor.

After detangling themselves from their awkward position, Lily went to get the umbrella from the bed but it was gone.

"Sorry, Miss," Ernie cried from the driver's seat. "But I think it fell out of the basket and someone probably grabbed it. Look's like you'll have to share with your _friend_ there," he added with a bitter taste in his mouth.

Grinning sheepishly Severus lead Lily toward the door. Once he stepped outside, he opened the umbrella and offered her his hand, which she took, though shyly. Then they set off to Lily's house, squeezing tightly under the umbrella to protect their exposed limbs.

On the way both of the fifteen year olds kept stealing glances at each other, as they did earlier that day, barely noticing they were still holding hands. To Lily it felt both shocking and beautiful all at the same time to be this close to someone who was like a dear friend to her. But to Severus, it felt like the most natural thing in the world and he wanted to stay that way forever.

**"It feels like we just got married," **he thought brightly. **"I know she only wants us to stay friends, yet I can't help but feel like she wants us to be more as much as I do. Perhaps I should make the first move, but not right now. Right now, I feel like the happiest man on the planet."**

_"See how right this feels?" _Lily's other half asked. _"This could turn out to be something more if you'll let it."_

But Lily kept trying to shrug it off, trying to convince herself that they were just going to stay friends, yet she felt like she was failing, which infuriated her more. She hated to fail at anything.

Finally, they reached her house, and saw her parent dark blue, 1972 Chevrolet parked in the driveway. When they got closer to the door they could hear the muffled sounds of her parents and sister's voices behind the door. Severus stepped forward and rang the doorbell, which silenced the voices for a moment.

The door opened and a whirl of short, light red hair came out and clapsed Lily in a tight hug, followed by the sound of Adriana Evans' tearfilled voice in her daughter's hair.

"Lily! Oh, my Lily, Lily, Lily!" she kept saying.

Alarmed Lily lifted her mother off her shoulder and looked her in the eyes before saying, "Mama! What is it? Is something wrong? What happened?"

"Everything's fine, love," Harry Evans answered as he stood at the doorway. "Ana, why don't you let the kids come in first before you all catch pneumonia out there?"

Nodding, Lily's mother lead the young ones inside while her father stepped aside to let them pass.

Upon seeing Severus, Harry smiled and said, "Hello there, Severus! How have you been? Thank you for taking care of my daughter for today. Petunia said she was spending some time with you, and we knew you would be ever the gentleman. Right?" he added, with a protective twinkling in his eye for his youngest daughter.

"Y-Yes sir. Of course, sir," the black haired boy answered nervously. He always liked Mr. Evans, and he knew he only had his daughters' best interests at heart, but he was always nervous when addressed about his time with Lily. Severus was always hoping to make the right impression as far as her parents were concerned, because he, very much, wanted to be considered as a worthy suitor for Lily.

Clapping him on the back, Harry took Severus over to the living to sit on the floor by the fireplace close to Lily, while Adriana went to make some hot chocolate.

Petunia, was sitting at the far side of the sofa, looking angry and defeated at the same time. Her lips were pursed so thin they looked like they would disappear into her mouth. Her limbs were crossed in a way that she looked like a crinkled, pink raisin, and her feet were close to her chest, while her pale eyes were swimming in bitter tears.

Every two seconds she would look at the pair sitting underneath some towels her father draped over their shoulders, and shoot threatening daggers at their backs. She quickly looked away when her father meet her gaze with a warning look. But she quickly did it again when she felt her younger sister's gaze on her form.

Adriana finally came into the living room, bearing a silver tray with five steaming mugs of hot chocolate, and a small bowl of miniature marshmellows and serving tongs.

When everyone got a mug and how ever many marshmellows they wanted, Mrs. Evans sat down next to her husband on the loveseat and everyone feel into silence as they sipped their drinks.

Gradually the silence and the tension were getting to her, so Lily tried to strike up a conversation with her parents, who were still giving their eldest daughter disapproving looks.

"So, h-how was the cinema?" Lily asked with a half-hearted smile.

"Oh, pretty well. Thank you for asking dear," her mother replied.

Petunia gave Lily a scathing look before returning to her drink.

"Yes, very well," Mr. Evans added, once again giving his blonde daughter a warning look. "Two great movies in a row. All starring your mother's crush, Michael York," he said with a small chuckle as his wife playfully hit him on the arm.

"But enough about us," Harry continued after everybody, except Petunia, stopped laughing. "Tell us about your day, little Tiger Lily. What all did you do after your mum and I left for the cinema?"

Blushing slightly at her nickname, Lily said, "Well, first, I went to the park to meet Sev and just talk about school, what classes we would have later...That sort of thing."

"Oh," Harry said with a small nod.

"Then we took a ride on the Knight Bus. That's the local transportation for any witches or wizards that are in a place where there are no other means of travel," she explained to her parents, knowing she will have to go more in depth about it later. They were always facinated by the wizarding world.

"We went to The Leaky Cauldron and had dinner, then we came back here," Lily concluded while she and Severus finished their hot chocolate.

"So _they _can go on a date together, but _I_ can't spend one afternoon with my steady," Petunia whispered with venom leaking from her voice.

"Petunia, it's not that at all," Lily tried to reassure her as she stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Sev and I were just spending some time together to give you some time with Vernon."

"SHUT UP!" Petunia screamed. Lifting her hands over her head, she sent her still full mug crashed to the floor as she stood up to face the red head. The contents and china spilling everywhere on the white carpet of the living room, and close to Lily's feet.

"Petunia Diana Evans!" her father exclaimed. "That is no way to speak to your sister, or act in front of our guest," he indicated to Severus as the remaining people in the room stood up from their seats. Severus moving closer to stand behind Lily.

"You're in enough trouble as it is with what you did earlier," Harry continued. Then he turned to Lily. "Lily, when we were at the cinema, about to watch the second movie, a call came for us at the front desk. I went up there and heard Mrs. Sullivan on the other, and do you know she told me? She told me that she saw Petunia, our own Petunia, push you out on the path and yell at you about your "abnormailities" and to stay away until we came back at nine o'clock.

"So we cut our movie date short and came back here to see if any of this was true. When we came in you were gone, and we found Petunia act most... un-ladylike with this Vernon Dursley chap. Naturally, I had a few good words to say to him," he said while clenching his fists and unconsciencly flexing his toned arms. "Then he left and we had your sister explain what was going on. Then waited for you to come back safely. Thank you again, by the way, Severus," he nodded at Severus with a smile, which Severus returned.

"When I asked you to tell us what you did while we were gone, I knew you would omit the incident between yourself and your sister. But I must ask you, to honestly and completely, tell us what happened after your mother and I left."

Looking back at Petunia with sad eyes, Lily retold what happened to her before she went to meet Severus, all the while taking his hand and squeezing it slightly when her tears threatened to spill from her eyes. After the truth was told Mr. and Mrs. Evans took their eldest daughter to the kitchen to discuss punishment, leaving Lily and her guest in the living room alone.

Trying to find something to do to fill the silence that returned, Lily gathered up the shards of the broken mug while Severus collected the others and placed them on the tray, tears beginning to fall from her eyes.

Just then, a pale hand with long fingers was on top of her outstrechted hand as she moved to collect more pieces from the carpet with his other hand grasped his towel, and, for the third time that day, green met black. Again, there was the temptation to turn from friends to lovers as they studied each other's faces and settling their sites on the lips. Quickly turning away they continued clean up.

Soon the other three returned to the living room before going there separate ways: Petunia rushing to her room upstairs, but not before giving Lily a look that was clearly soaked with vengence; Adriana thanking the young people for cleaning up the mess and taking the tray back to the kitchen, and Harry walking Severus to the door while Lily followed.

The umbrella from the Knight Bus was gone when they came to the front door.

"Severus," Mr. Evans said. "Why don't you let me drive you home? Heaven knows I can't let you walk out there with it still pouring down. You may catch a cold, and I wouldn't want you to be sick before you and Lily headed back to school."

"That's very kind of you, Mr. Evans," Severus replied, quite surprised but pleased.

Turning back to get his coat, car keys and spare umbrella the two tempted friends were once again left alone.

"Wow, Sev!" Lily said with a smile. "Papa really seems to like you, and I don't think it's because of what happened with Vernon," she added when it looked like he was going to say the opposite.

Grinning, Severus said, "Yeah. Things seem to have been going my way today. But what about you? Did you enjoy today?"

Thinking back on what happened to her today she said, "Honestly, Sev? I didn't think things were going okay with me."

"Oh," he said sadly.

"But," she said gazing into his eyes, a mysterious and mischievious look playing in her eyes. "After spending some time alone with you, yes, I believe I _did_ enjoy today. We should probably do this again soon."

"I think so, too, Lily," Severus said, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "How about, when we get our letters for this year's school supplies? We can make plans to meet at the Leaky Cauldron and see what happens from there."

Smiling brightly at the suggestion Lily said, "Great! So, I'll let you know when we get our letters."

"Okay. See you then," he said quickly when Mr. Evans returned, holding a spare umbrella in one hand while the other was around his keys and his own umbrella.

A few minutes later, after telling Severus it was okay to keep the spare, both men headed outside into the summer storm, in the car and drove off to Spinner's End.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Pleasant Dreams**

Closing the door, Lily went into the kitchen, kissed her mother good night, and headed to her room upstairs. When she rounded the corner she found a livid looking Petunia leaning in front of her door, already in her pink flannel gown and with red eyes. She had been crying.

"Well, don't we look _happy_," she spat at Lily.

Sighing Lily placed her hand on the doorknob to her room and began to open the door. She was too exhausted to deal with her sister's moodiness.

"I'm talking to you!" the blonde half shouted, obviously trying not to alert her parents.

Sighing again, Lily turned to her sister and said, "Petunia, I'm tired. Okay? I've had a rough day and you looking as though you're about to smack me again is not helping my mood. I just want to get some sleep and forget our little _squabble_ ever happened."

"_You _had a rough day!" she continued to half yell. "_I_ had to work double-time to get everything perfect for Vernon's visit because _you_ had to mess up the carpet with those trashy sandals."

"They are not trashy and you know it!" Lily said indignatly.

"Then _I_ had to go and straighten up the path that _you_, once again, messed up when you landed on your fat ass," she continued with more venom.

_"She's one to talk. I've seen Vernon and he's as big as a killer whale!" _Lily thought, and, for once today, did not backtrack.

"And then, just as I had everything under control with Vernon, Mum and Dad came back home early because that nosy old cat, Sullivan, couldn't keep her nose out of other people's business!" Petunia gave her a look that clearly said that she blamed everything on Lily.

_"Again, she's one to talk! The horse-faced hypocrite!"_

"Now as punishment I'm not allowed to see Vernon, I have to give a week's worth of allowance to the poor, and I have to work at the soup kitchen until I return to school," she said this as though the thought would make her vomit. "The soup kitchen! A week's worth of allowance! I can't believe this!"

With that she stormed off into her room and slammed the door.

Meanwhile, Lily entered her room shaking her head and started changing into her own flannel gown- a deep blue- thinking about all of the things that happened to her today. From the note she wrote to Severus about their meeting; to the incident with her sister; to the time she spent with Severus at the park, on the bus, in London and at home, and to what happened a few minutes ago.

_"Funny how he keeps popping up whenever you think about him."_

"Yeah, it is. But that doesn't mean I'm falling for him. Does it?"

Shaking her head once more Lily climbed into bed and started drifting off to sleep, being sung into the depts of unconscienceness by the storm's melody on her window.

That night she had a dream. Her and Severus were back in the glade and he noticed the handprint on her face. Lily collapsed into his arms the way she did in reality, but this time the sensations she felt were intensified.

She could feel the warmth of his embrace as his arms coiled around her and she felt herself curl up in his lap. She could feel his heartbeat inside his chest give off a fast, steady rhythm that copied hers. She could smell the scent of his body- freshly turned parchment from a book, an herb that he liked to use in his potions, and the scent of pine trees.

Then she looked into his eyes and saw a flame inside of him that was a natural part of him. A flame they both knew because it was reflected in her eyes too. A flame that promised happiness and the fulfillment of even the smallest kiss.

At that moment they were still in that embrace as a plush brown loveseat glided around inside a moving vehicle. After that they separated into comfortable seating positions close to each other in a dark corner, becoming more cozy as they moved closer to each other.

Seconds later they were on the floor in front of a familiar fireplace, but no one else was there, and their hands were touching. Pale skin meeting fair. Obsedian meeting emerald. Thin, soft, pale lips closing in on full, pouting, pink lips.

They touch, and everything turns into bliss. Hearts beating faster than a hippogriff's wings. Flames burning brighter and truer than the ones in the fireplace...

Lily found her arms wrapped around his neck and her hands pulling his head closer to hers, keeping their lips locked. She felt her lips part and making his open as well. She felt her tongue slip out as it started to play with his, trying to see how far they would both go...

Severus's arms were coiled around her middle. His right hand was keeping her head close to his and getting entangled in the dark red tresses, while his left was going down the small of her back, pass the hem of her skirt, then under it, touching her thigh...

The alarm clock sounded and Severus Snape woke up with a start. Sitting upright in his bed he brought his hand to his forehead, only to find that it was sweating. Looking around he saw that it was not just his forehead that was sweating, but also his chest, his arms, legs... basically everywhere. It felt as though he was waking up in heat.

**"Which is probably true, considering the dream I had," **he thought with a sense of... _bliss_.

In his dream he and Lily were back in the park, and she was crying into his chest about the handprint on her face, seating with his arms around her in his lap. But when she looked up into his eyes he saw a flame dancing behind them. A flame that promised him his heart's desire and that she wanted the same thing from him in return.

Soon they were in a sliding, plush brown loveseat. A few seconds later, in a dark corner of a room trying to get closer and more comfortable.

Then they were seating on the floor in front of a fireplace. Their eyes met, their hands touched and soon their lips followed. The flame that was burning inside of them was truer and brighter than the flames in the fireplace. Their hearts were beating in a synchronized, fast pace, faster than a hippogriff's wings.

Lily had her arms around his neck and her hands were clapsed tightly to his head, holding him in place as she pulled their lips apart. He could feel their tongues in each other's mouths, pushing to see how far they could go...

His arms were holding Lily's petite form close to his, feeling her pressing against him as his right hand entangled itself into her beautiful ruby strands. His left was slowly going down her back, pass her skirt, coming under it, then touching the soft, creamy skin of her thigh...

"Okay, stop!" Lily thought while still panting from her dream and from the suddenly humid atmosphere in her room. "That was just..."

_"Wonderful? Right? Maybe an omen of things to come? You know it will happen sooner or later."_

"Again, stop! Severus Snape and I are just friends. We have to be anyway. He's in Slytherin with a bunch of wanna-be Death Eaters who want nothing more than to corrupt. I'm in Gryffindor with a bunch of people who want to fight Death Eaters and who want to finish them off before they have a chance to join."

_"All the more reason to be lovers than friends. This way you can show him a different way of life, and he won't have to be on the receiving end of any curses."_

"Or make it worse, especially where Potter is concerned. Those two hate each other with a passion that goes beyond House rivalry, and just us being friends makes Sev a target for His Royal Pigheadedness. If I started dating him, Potter would have a field day!"

_"Are you saying Sev can't defend himself? In case you haven't noticed, he has been the Slytherin Dueling Champion as long as you have and he knows more spells, both Dark and Light, that can be useful to dethrown His Toohighness once and for all."_

"Maybe."

_"And you can help him, you know. Two Duel Champions, from rival Houses, dating each other. That would not only make Hogwarts history, but could also knock that Quidditch jock down a few knotches faster than a Bludger to his fat head."_

"True," Lily began to wonder about the possibilities of this as she got ready for the day.

Later that day two owls, one a big barn owl, the other a red tawny owl, separated while flying down the lanes of houses. The barn owl went to the left, towards Spinner's End, and the tawny owl went to the right, towards Westminster. Both of them were carrying bulky parchment envelops to their respective owners.

The red, tawny owl came when the Evans family was gathered for breakfast at eight-thirty, much to the displeasure of an already red-eyed Petunia. The owl pecked at the window in the kitchen and was let in by Adriana, already prepared with an owl treat. Mr. and Mrs. Evans had gotten used to this after years of getting letters from their young witchling.

Looking at the front of the envelop with a smile Mrs. Evans came back into the dining area and said, "Here you are Tiger Lily, and, might I say, it feels rather heavy."

"Thanks, Mama," Lily whispered, embarrassed at the early use of her nickname.

Opening the envelop, which was addressed _Lily Evans, At the Dining Room Table, Facing the Kitchen, 13 Westminster Road, England_, she read the letter then burst into a shout of laughter.

"Mama! Papa! Read this! Look what it says!" she exclaimed, giving the letter to her father as he and his wife read it with questioning expressions.

_"Ms. Lily Aurora Evans,_

_ We are pleased to inform you that you have been made Gryffindor Prefect for this year. Due to your excellent academic performance these past four years, your ability to multitask various appointments with your clubs, and your unique air of authority, we believe that you shall do all of us at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry very proud._

_ You will be working alongside other students from different Houses, including your fellow Gryffindor Prefect. We hope this will help you get to know your fellow students better._

_ Good luck, and please find enclosed your badge, schedule for your first Prefects' meeting, and the required list of schools supplies._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Headmaster, Superior Mungwomp, Order of Merlin First Class..."_

The confusion on her parents' faces vanished and was replaced with joy at their daughter's accomplishment. They were even more excited when they saw the Prefect's badge in the envelop just like the letter said. It was crest-shaped, silver and had the Gryffindor lion standing on its hind legs leaning on a bold capital _P_.

"That's my girl!" Harry Evans exclaimed as he got up from his seat to take her from behind. Then, placing her in a headlock with his right arm, he ruffled her red hair that she started to resemble the lion on her new badge.

"Papa!" Lily laughed back, elbowing him in the stomach, slipping out of his grip, and holding his arm behind his back in a half-nelson. "Don't do that!"

As the Evans, save for Petunia, finshed laughing at the little exhibition that occured whenever Lily made Harry proud, Adriana pulled her husband away from her daughter, and gently reprimanded him.

"Harry! I know you're proud of Lily, but do you really have to rough-house with her? I'm still trying to make a proper young lady out of her."

"Hey!"

Laughing, Harry replied, "I know, dearest heart. But I think Lily is more than enough of a lady already. She has your etiquette lessons down pact, and she knows not to knaw her bones in public. I just don't want anybody, especially a boy, to get the wrong impression that she can be pushed around easily."

Turning, he gave each of his daughters a wink and concluded, "Besides, I didn't raise my daughters to be wallflowers. I raised them to be the strong and sturdy plants they were named after."

With that the family finished off their breakfast with much more gusto. Except for the eldest daughter, of course. During that time she kept flashing daggers at her Prefect sister, and continued to stab at her bacon with unneccessary force.

Afterwards, Lily went up to her room to write to Severus, letting him in on the good news. But when she reached her room she saw, hanging upside down from a straightened out old hook, which was screwed inside of the window frame, was Severus and Lily's pet bat...

"Reinfield!" Lily said as she closed the door and went to sit in the chair at her desk. "Do you have a note from Sev?"

In answer, the big black bat spread its sturdy wings, showing off its muscular chest and on its leg, wrapped carefully tight, was a piece of parchment that had Lily's name in delicate handwriting. On closer inspection, its left wing looked a little crooked from the folding joint, and the broad chest held a thin, long scar, close to where his heart is.

The bat was from the mill tower that overlooked Spinner's End where Severus and Lily tended to the wounds that a superstitious Muggle woman inflected upon it when she tossed a sharp rock at it. The rock hit the bat's left wing, braking it and making a deep cut on its chest, and it would have died on the spot if it were not for Lily and Severus passing by when the poor thing collapsed on the ground. The bat was starting to bleed from the gash but was trying to take off, even with its broken wing.

So they decided to look after it until it was better. Lily provided the bandages and the padding for its bed, and Severus provided the healing solutions and an old shoe box that he kept herbs in. In a few weeks the bat, who they christened 'Reinfield', was fully recovered but chose to stay with its two caretakers, delivering messages and receiving some food as payment.

When Lily untied the parchment from his legs, Reinfield stayed put on the perch and refolded his wings, waiting patiently in case Lily wanted to write back.

"Kind of like how Sev always waits for me when we're at school," Lily thought with a smile.

She quickly opened the parchment and read:

_**"Dear Lily,**_

_** I hope you are doing well this morning, because I am. I know this sounds a little out of character, even for me, but I am very excited at the good news I have to tell you...**_

_** Actually, no, I think I will let you wait it out until we meet up at the Leaky Cauldron to go to Diagon Alley. I would tell you now, but I decided to let it be a surprise and tell you in person.**_

_** How about we meet Saturday, the twenty-fifth, at ten o'clock? **_

_** I wish we could meet earlier, but I'm going to be busy the rest of the week. My mom will need help at the Apothecary, and I need to be at Florish and Blots later on to earn some extra gold.**_

_** Write me back when you get this, and give Reinfield an apple or something. Tobias decided to play 'target practice' with the neighborhood cats and didn't want to waste his beer bottles, so he threw Reinfield's treats at them instead.**_

_**Write Back Soon,**_

_**Sev" **_

Smiling at the letter (excluding the part about Tobias), Lily decide that she would wait to tell Severus her good news, too. So she quickly ran out of her room, and asked her parents if it was okay to go to the Leaky Cauldron on Saturday.

Given the okay to go, Lily went to the kitchen, grabbed a bag of dried apple crisps, and ran back upstairs to her desk to write her response as the bat ate his treats upside down.

"Dear Sev,

Mama and Papa gave me permission to go, so I'll meet you at the Leaky Cauldron, and don't worry, I've fed Reinfield. Sorry about what Tobias did.

Anyway, I have a surprise for you as well, so looks like we'll both have to plenty to tell when we meet Saturday.

I wish we could meet earlier too, but I'm going to be busy this week myself. My father is insisting that I come with him to the Fencing Arena to show off for some of his students there, and my mother wants me to help her at the Bridal Shoppe later on. We are expecting a wealthy client to drop by this week, and she wants everything to be presentable for the bride and her entourage.

See you Saturday, and good luck at the bookshop.

Sincerely,

Lily"

Tying the letter carefully to Reinfield's leg, Lily tranfered him to her forefinger and gave him an appreciative stroke along his body. He returned the gesture by lapping at her hand with his small pink tongue, and flew off to Severus' window.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Left Side of the Street**

The rest of the week seemed to have passed by quickly for both Lily and Severus. Soon Lily was in the living room and in front of the fireplace, holding a small draw-string bag of glittering powder. Her parents had moved the grate out of the way and were standing back, watching the grandfather clock as its hands moved closer to the ten o'clock position. Petunia had left earlier to work at the local soup kitchen.

"Now Lily," Harry Evans said in his stern, fatherly voice. "Remember to be back home by six o'clock tonight. Keep yourself at-ready in case any trouble comes your way, and don't be afraid to use any force if necessary to defend yourself and/or your friends."

"Yes Papa," she replied, already familiar with this speech, as it was the one given to all of his students at the Knights' Fencing Arena in Buckingham.

"Also," Adriana Evans added in, "remember to stand up straight and look the shop keepers in the eye, especially Madam Malkins. You know how tailors like to make sure they get accurate measurements of their customers."

"Yes Mama," Lily said, as the other familiar phrase came at her. This was much more common, considering her mother owned The Wedding March Bridal Shoppe in London, so she understood the hustle and bustle of Madam Malkins' robe shop.

Just then the clock struck ten, and Lily placed herself inside the fireplace, which had expanded to fit her height plus a few inches.

Taking a small amount of the glittering powder Lily threw some on the fire that had started around her and cried out, "Diagon Alley!". Then her parents disappeared in a swirl of color and sound.

She was soon slowing down and she got out of the fireplace inside a vacant room of The Leaky Cauldron. There, waiting for her at a small table was Severus and...

"Bellatrix Black?" Lily asked as walked over to where they were sitting.

"Princess Lily Evans!" Bellatrix answered in mock awe. "How good of you to join us! Has Severus told you his good news?"

"That is part of the reason why I came here," Lily replied incredulously while taking a seat close to her friend. "I have some good news to tell him as well, and _we_ had planned to go shopping for our school supplies while we were here."

At this Bellatrix's eyes lightened up with dark humor and a sinister smile showed up on her pale face. She then said, "Well that sounds like a good idea. Why don't the three of us go together after we each tell our good news?"

One of Lily's eyebrows went up when she heard this suggestion. Why was her rival willing to be seen with them in her company? What was she planning?

After a few seconds Lily stated "We'll see", then turned toward her friend and asked, "So Sev, what is it you wanted to tell me?"

Smiling slightly Severus put his hand in the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a silver, crest-shaped badge, just like Lily's. Except his had the Slytherin snake wrapped around the ornate-looking _P_, and it could only be distinguished by its emerald green scales because the rest seemed to have blended in with the silver background.

"Wow, Sev! I'm so happy for you!" Lily exclaimed then showed him her Prefect's badge. "Looks like we are going to be working together more often this year."

"Yes, we are," Severus replied, though his enthusiasim was not as prominate as Lily's.

"What's wrong, Sev?" Lily asked, a worried note in her voice.

Giggling, Bellatrix held out a piece of silver of her own and gloated "He's probably upset that he won't be the only Slytherin working alongside you, _Princess Lily_."

"Kindly refrain yourself from calling me that, _Trixie Black_," Lily countered in a not-so friendly manner, and would have got a bit of satisfaction to see the usual annoyed look in Bellatrix's eyes whenever that nickname was mentioned. However...

Bellatrix actually smiled wider and gave Lily a hearty thump on the back when she stood up behind Lily's chair. Looking at Lily and Severus surprised looks she laughed and said, "You know something, Lily? I think this year may not be so bad. You certainly have more spunk than I gave you credit for, and I like that in a potential new friend."

"What?" Lily asked.

"A potential new friend?" Severus quoted back.

Laughing harder and slightly more manical, Bellatrix responded, "Of course! I have decided to try to make the most of the time we have left at Hogwarts, starting this year. I mean, after all, we can't keep going around looking over our shoulders and wondering what fellow student is going to do to us. That type of behavior is for immature prats like James Potter and his 'Marauders', not for mature, highly skilled witches and wizards such as ourselves. Right?"

Severus shrugged slightly, and Lily answered in a wary voice, "Yes. I suppose so..."

"Great then!"

And with that, Bellatrix tugged at their elbows and moved them to the door of the private room. Once out of there, she lead the way to the back of the pub, out the backdoor, and into the small courtyard, while her "friends" trailed behind, sending each other silent messeges with their eyes.

"She's up to something," Lily motioned to Severus.

**"I know,"** he motioned back.

When they got to her Bellatrix had already tapped the brick that formed the archway to the busy, brightly colored street of Diagon Alley. The street was busier than ever with many returning students and new ones trying to get into shops, meeting up with friends, or trying to stay close to their families. In some of the shops posters were propped up in the windows introducing new products, discounts on certain items, or reminding everybody to stay close and not to get separated unless necessary.

Halfway up Diagon Alley Bellatrix turned to the left and motioned for the others to follow. On the side of the wall that divided most of the street was a sign that read _Knockturn_ _Alley_, which lead to a dark and enclosed street that scarcly had any movement.

Thinking quickly Lily said to her companions, "I'll meet up with you later. I have to make a quick run to Gringott's to exch-"

But Bellatrix looped her right arm in Lily's left, and guided/towed her towards the dark alley, smiling mysteriously sweet at her.

"No need for that, Lily. I will be paying for your supplies. After all, my family knows the shopkeepers around here, so it will be no problem whatsoever to get what you and Severus require. Besides, the eateries and robe shops around here are much better than the ones you have been used to in Diagon Alley," she said as they came to a robe shop called Tatters and Tattings.

"Here you will get fitted like royalty," Bellatrix said fondly as she pulled Lily inside while Severus followed closly, still suspecious as to what Bellatrix had instore for his heart's desire. There was no way he going to let Lily be harmed, so he was determined to keep close and watch for anything that felt dangerous.

**"In a place like this, that is very likely,"** he thought as Bellatrix lead them further into the shop and where they stopped in front of a dark mahogany desk with gold trim. Behind the desk was a woman with dark brown hair and gray streaks, wearing a set of deep blue dressrobes. She was scribbling on a piece of parchment but looked up when she heard the door open.

"Miss Black!" the woman cried as she came from behind her desk. "How good of you to drop by my humble shop. Tell me, who are these young people with you? I do not believe I have seen them here before."

Smiling sweetly Bellatrix replied, "Hello Ursella! These are some of my fellow classmates. This lovely red head is Ms. Lily Evans, and this... _interesting_... gentleman is Mr. Severus Snape. They are first-timers here in Knockturn Alley."

**"Interesting?" **Severus thought bitterly. **"Oh well. At least it wasn't an outright insult."**

"Really?" Ursella replied with a greedy gleam in her eyes at the prospect of some new customers. "So, what can I do for you all?"

Turning with the shopkeeper Bellatrix gave Lily an encouraging wink, and stepped aside so she could tell Ursella what she needed.

Taking a deep breath Lily smiled at the woman in front of her and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss. I would like to have a set of school robes for the upcoming year. The ones I got at Madam Malkins' last year have -"

"Madam Malkins!" Ursella gasped in shock. "Oh, you poor dear! It's a good thing Miss Black brought you here. Heaven only knows how you managed not to be laughed at with those _rags_ she has been selling you. Come with me, my dear, and please call me Ursella."

Once again Lily was beening towed further into the shop, only stopping at a section marked "Witch Wear" where the older woman had her stand on a short stool, removed her belongings- the dark green purse and simple black cloak- and had them placed on a floating tray where a glass dome secured the contents.

Taking a violet tape measure and her wand Ursella set to work getting Lily's measurements, commenting every so often as it wrapped itself around her limbs and curves, saying things like "You really do have a lovely figure, Ms. Evans" or "Why didn't you come here in the first place? Malkins' robes do you no justice!" Finally she summoned a sleek-looking set of plain black robes and placed them over Lily's head.

Once Lily's hair was untucked from the collar, Ursella had it spread over her shoulders so that it framed her face, and small straight pins came over and starting pinning the black robes in place before the alterations took place.

Looking closely in her reflection Lily saw that the silvery pins were loosening the robes in certain places, like the arms and collar, while the rest were going in the natural shape of her body, showing off the mounds of her breasts, tucking around her middle and flowing out from her hips downward.

"The best part of these particular robes is that they clean easily and can loosen themselves so you can move around comfortably in them," the owner said in a motherly tone of voice. "Now, after these are done, why don't we see if we can alter your school uniform a bit? You are developing into quite the petite witch, Ms. Evans, and you need to give yourself more credit," she added with a suggestive wink.

"A-Alright, I guess," Lily replied blushing.

While this was going on Severus pulled Bellatrix to the side and asked, "What are you really planning, Bellatrix?"

"Why Severus, whatever do you mean?" she asked back in mock surprise.

"You know _exactly_ what I mean!" he hissed. "You've liked Lily as much as I've liked Potter since first year. If you weren't trying to make some sort of substance explode in front of her, then you were trying to land her in St. Mungo's due to one of your curses. Now, what is it you have instore for her now? Trying to ruin her reputation or something?"

Making a laughing sound in her throat, Bellatrix replied, "I really meant what I said eariler in the Leaky Cauldron, Severus. I _do_ want to be friends with her and leave this animosity behind us once and for all. I also think that your little lioness has potential, so it would be a grave mistake to have her as an enemy."

"By 'potential' do you mean..." Severus trailed off as realisation dawned on him.

Smiling at his expression the dark girl answered, "You guessed it, Severus. I believe Lily would make a fine Death Eater. If you help me with this, then, not only will her full potential grow, but you will get a chance to become more than 'best friends'. What do you say? Care to help me in Lily's _transformation_?" she asked, holding out her hand.

At this Severus thoughts started whirling at possibility of Lily becoming a Dark witch. He saw them together as the school's new power couple, holding hands and joining his other Slytherin companions at their House table. He could see her face light up with vengeful pleasure as she used the Cruciatus Curse on their enemies. Finally, he could see them living in a beautiful manor house, filled with guests as they toasted their hosts and Lily holding a lovely, black haired and green-eyed baby in her arms as they walked toward them.

Meeting Bellatrix's eyes he took her hand and said, "Of course", as he shook it in a firm grip.

After they were all fitted in Tatters and Tattings they went into another shop. It was called Wizadards' Familiars. This shop was almost similar to the Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley, except it mostly contained bats, dark colored owls and...

"Snakes," Lily whispered as she approached a cage that contained a wad of dark brown rat snakes.

"Do you like snakes Lily?" Bellatrix said with a gleam in her eyes.

Blushing slightly and backing away Lily replied, "I'm not overly fond of them, but, yes, in a way, I do like snakes."

"Would you like me to buy you one?" the dark haired witch asked with a smile playing on her lips.

"Oh no, thanks," Lily answered. "I mainly want to have an owl, but my sister hates owls. Actually, she really doesn't like animals of any kind, which is really irritating at times."

"Alright, since when did you start opening up to _Bellatrix Black_? The only person you ever talked to about Petunia is Sev, and he would never tell anybody else," Lily thought with shock.

"Very well then," Bellatrix said as she looked through the rows of cages and their occuppants. "Shame though, that particular one seems to like you," she added pointing to a rather large, three-foot long, pale green boa that was gazing at the red head in a perculiar fashion.

"Or maybe he's more interested in one of the small birds in here," Lily stated turning away from the cage and went to join the others at the door when suddenly...

_Crash!_

The cage had fallen off the table and the boa was on the floor, slinking its way toward Lily, who remained completely still and calm, as her father had told her when a similar thing happened at the London Zoo almost eight years ago.

"Stay back, and don't use magic on it!" the shopkeeper exclaimed to the crowd.

"Don't worry Miss," a boy with wavy blonde hair said. "I read about how to deal with this sort of thing and I-"

"Sev," Lily said, cutting the boy off, "get the cage back on the table, and put it away from the edge. Bellatrix, could you come over here? I'll need your help with this," she asked while still keeping calm as the snake wound its way up her leg and around her middle.

Stepping toward the fallen cage carefully, Severus picked it up and moved it on the table, holding the door open. Meanwhile, Bellatrix stepped towards Lily agilily and watched as the serpent slithered its way around Lily's stomach and onto her outstretched arms. She had positioned herself so that her head was a few inches away, her arms were steady and palms up so the snake could coil around them without squeezing her in the process.

As its head came to the open palm of her left hand, Lily and Bellatrix moved closer to the table while Severus looked at the scene transfixed, stunned at the calm demeanor of the girl he loved. Finally the snake's head was inside the palm of her hand, and Lily tightened her fingers around it ever so slightly as her right slid under its belly, rubbing it gently before taking it into her hand.

Then she turned her eyes to Bellatrix and said, in a detached sort of voice, "Very quickly and gently unwrap the rest of his body from my arms, then slowly place him in the cage, tail first. I'll put his head in after."

Complying to the request, Bellatrix unwound the coils, going underneath her arms with her left hand and then tranfering the rest to her right over Lily's arms. Completing the motion both girls placed the snake back in the cage and Severus quickly shut and locked it.

Lily's sigh of relief was unheard by the others as the crowd that gathered around them clapped and cheered for their teamwork and quick thinking.

"Thanks you two," Lily said to Severus and Bellatrix with a smile.

Bellatrix smiled back and joked, "Well, if all else fails, perhaps you could get a job as a snake tamer or something."

"Maybe, as long as they're not poisonus, then my partner would be left do the work," Lily laughed back.

"What am I doing?" Lily thought again, but this time it was in a very faint voice.

Before Severus could respond to this turn of events, a voice came from behind them and said, "Great show, ladies and gentleman. Great show!"

Clapping toward them was a brown-haired youth with a slight build and a thin stubble on his upper lip. He was tall, wearing black dress jeans, a white collared shirt and black suade shoes. Beside him was a black-haired boy, a little younger than himself, with a pale grey collared shirt, deep blue jeans and white trainers.

"Rudolpus! Regulus!" Bellatrix squealed as she ran to embrace her boyfriend (Rudolphus Lestrange) and young cousin (Regulus Black). Then she had them come over and the two groups merged into discussion about what happened.

Kissing Bellatrix lightly on the cheek he said, "That was wonderful, love. Absolutely brilliant!"

"Thank you Rudo," Bellatrix smirked. "But the credit really goes to Lily here," she added, pulling Lily close to her in a one-armed hug. "It was her calm attitude and sharp wits that saved your father's prized snake from getting trampled on."

"Your father's?" Lily asked.

"Yes. My father, Claude Lestrange, owns this little shop here and that was his prized boa. He had a very important client come in the other day looking to purchase it," Rudolphus explained, smiling at the look of understanding on her face. "I hope you're up to receiving gifts, Lily, because my father would want to reward the brave woman that got his client's new pet out of harm's way without causing it any injury in the process."

_"Makes you wonder what that says about his feelings for the customers," _Lily thought sarcastically, but said aloud, "That really isn't necessary. I'm just glad nobody, or it, was harmed."

Shaking his finger at her, Lestrange replied, "No no Lily. My father will see to it that you _will_ be rewarded, so if you see anything that you like while you're here, just tell me and I'll tell my father. Which brings me to why I'm here. Reg and I were just about to head to The Silver Tongue for lunch after looking at over the animals here, when we heard that crash and came around to see what it was."

"That," Regulus interjected, "was when we saw the snake move up your body like a tree. Naturally that idot, Gildroy Lockheart- a first year, naturally- tried to be the big hero and 'save the day', but once you cut him off we saw how you handled that situation."

Afterwards, as they went to The Silver Tongue, with Lily and Severus in the middle of the group, Regulus, who was beside Lily on the left, winked "Not too shabby there, Lily. You really are quite the snake charmer."

"Ah, thanks Regulus," Lily stammered, then joined the giggling throng as each recounted what happened at the scene back in the menagerie while Lily was preoccupied with the boa.

As they were nearing the entrance Bellatrix, who was next to Severus on the right of him, gave him a look that clearly said "Things seem to be going more smoothly than weanticipated." To which Severus returned with a smile.

**"If this keeps up,"** Severus thought, looking at the green-eyed girl beside him on his left, **"She will be one of us before fifth year is over."**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Silver Tongues and Black Dresses**

The Silver Tongue was nothing like Lily had ever seen. The place was dimly lit with floating candles above the tables. There were semicircled booth seats curving along the walls and full-circled ones on the floor that had silver-white padding on the seats. The columns were of the same shade of silver-white, as were the table cloths, chandeliers, and small trays that were revolving around the floor.

On closer inspection Lily saw that the trays were being carried by house-elves, little creatures with big eyes the size of tennis balls and flappy, bat-like ears. These elves were dressed in silver-white tunics and their trays were ladened with the customers' food and drinks.

"It's almost like a five-star restuarant," Lily thought, slightly awed.

**"Must be where the rich wizarding kids come to eat,"** Severus thought bitterly, then looked at Lily and saw the awed look in her eyes. **"But it won't be too long before it's our turn, my love. I'll make sure of it."**

To complete the analogy a tall man with silver-gray hair and silver dressrobes appeared before the group and said, in a Spanish-accented voice, "Welcome to The Silver Tongue. I am your humble servant, Carlos. Ah, Ms. Black, Mr. Black and Mr. Lestrange, how good to see you all today. I see you have brought us some new clients. Please, come on in."

Bowing low he lead them to a table near the back of the room, where it was more private as there were hardly any customers seated there. Seating in a boy-to-girl fashion, with Severus on the right side, followed by Lily, then Regulus, then Bellatrix and finally Rudolphus, the maitre d' sent them all silver-backed menus, much like the ones The Leaky Cauldron had, and left.

"So, Lily," Bellatrix said while she picked out a butterbeer for her drink. "What do you think about your first visit to Knockturn Alley?"

"It certainly is different from Diagon Alley," Lily replied, pondering her own menu. "But it seems to be a lot more spacious than how it appears, and the shops are much more interesting."

Bellatrix's eyes looked over at the others when Lily said this and they simply gleamed with victory.

"Okay, stop it now!" Lily thought frantically. "You can't seriously say you're starting to like this place more than Diagon Alley! This place is packed with shops dedicated to Dark magic, and you're hanging sround a bunch of Death Eater wanna-be's! After lunch, politely ask to leave, head back to Diagon Alley, grabbed the rest of your supplies and get -"

"Have you decided what you wanted?" Rudolphus asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Oh, um," Lily said quickly. "Actually no. I have never eaten in a place like this before, and I'm not too familiar with most of these dishes."

"Then allow me to order for you," Regulus offered.

"Oh no you don't, cousin!" Bellatrix reprimanded. "_I_ will be in charge of Lily's order. I won't have you order something that will give her a bad impression of the best restuarant in London with your silly choices in food combinations."

Looking at the other girl across from her, she explained, "Regulus has an odd habit of putting together different meal combinations that would make somebody sick for days. Once, he had roast beef ordered with poached quail eggs, smothered with eel sauce, whipped cream and stewed prunes on top."

"That happened when I was seven, and you're still telling people that?" Regulus whined at his cousin, completely embarrassed when everybody else at the table started to laugh.

When Carlos returned everybody placed their orders, with Bellatrix ordering for Lily, and a few short minutes later one of the house-elves came with their drinks laden on its tray, as they all ordered butterbeers. That was when some conversation started.

Regulus began by asking Lily, "Is it true that you from some sort of aristocrisy in the Muggle world? I overheard a few people talking when Professor Slughorn had his usual end-of-the-year parties, but I wan't too sure if it was true or not."

"Actually, yes, I am," Lily said hesitantly. "Though in different ways. On my father's side of the family, I'm decended from a long line of knights so he is constantly away on such businesses that require his services, or he has to teach a fencing class near Buckingham to other knights-in-training. On my mother's side I come from a line of royal dressmakers, and she owns her own dress shop near London."

"Oh, I see," Bellatrix said, intrigued by this new information. "If you don't mind me asking Lily, are you also quite wealthy?"

"Yes I am," Lily answered, then smiled at the violet-eyed girl. "But you will have to wait until I can get a vault of my own at Gringott's before I can pay you back for your hospitality."

Making a shooing motion with her hand she replied, "Oh don't be silly. What I'm spending now is just something extra for making Prefect. Ooops, did I forget to tell you two that? Must have slipped my mind."

"No, love, I believe you didn't tell us," Rudolphus said before running a finger up and down her spine, making Bellatrix giggle madly while Regulus rolled his eyes and shook his head.

While that was going on, Lily turned to Severus and said, "This is just so surreal, isn't it Sev?"

"Yeah, it is," Severus said, pretending to be just as puzzled, but actually enjoying the results of what was transpiring.

"I know Bellatrix is up to something and these two are in on it somehow," Lily continued. "First off, she's actually paying for our school supplies. Next she offered to buy me a pet. Then she helped me get that snake back in its cage, and, finally, her boyfriend and cousin are actually sitting next to us, a Muggleborn and a half-blood, and they haven't said anything insulting about it the entire time."

"I agree, there is something suspecious about all of this," Severus nodding. Then he asked something Lily has been asking herself since the beginning of all of this, "If you do feel strongly about all of this, then why not leave? You could have made up a good excuse and got out of here in the first place. So, why not?"

Biting her lip she replied, "I'm not sure. A part of me, the part that is conditioned by my mother's etiquette lessons, is saying 'it is rude to leave somebody if you already made plans with them in the first place'. That somebody is you, Sev.

"Another part, the part that was trained by my father's fighting lessons, is saying 'keep your guard up, and let your opponet make the first move before deciding on your next course of action'. At first, I thought it was that part that's been telling me to let it all play out."

"So, what part are you following now?" Severus asked, trying to keep the hope out of his voice.

"The one that's telling me 'stay with them, and enjoy yourself in someone else's group of friends'," Lily said, blushing a little.

"Who's group is that?" Severus pushed gently.

Looking at him full in the eyes she confessed, "Your's."

Then she smiled geniunly for the first time that day, and Severus' insides were jumping for joy.

**"She's staying for me,"** Severus thought happily. **"She's actually enjoying herself, with me! This must be a sign. We're meant to be Death Eaters, and we're meant to be together."**

When the food finally got to their table they each grabbed their orders, which were being bore by its own elf and going to their designated owners.

Bellatrix had ordered Lily, and herself, a bubbling black stew with whole, opened oyster shells making their way to the surface. The biggest ones were in the middle, still closed and their shells were a glistening silver.

"You may want to take your's out, Lily dear," she said, removing her own with a flick of her wand and settling it on a silver-white napkin. "You can open it after your meal."

Nodding, Lily followed suit and dipped her spoon into the strange concoction, tasting it. It was surprisingly good. The stew was thick, creamy, and was not as hot as it looked.

"This is quite delicious," Lily commented as she took another spoonful.

"I'm glad you enjoy it," Bellatrix replied with a smile. "The Silver Tongue is quite famous for its Mirum Cortice Obscuro. The best part of it is the shells. Each one has a little surprise inside each one, and the prize depends on what interests you."

"Interesting," Lily said. Then, unbidden, something came to her mind of what she saw back at Tatters and Tattings.

"No, that can't be," Lily thought, then dismissed the notion and continued eatting.

After the filling lunch they all began to go their separate ways, but not before Rudolphus put a hand on Lily's shoulder and said, "Lily, you never told me what you wanted my father to get you. Are you sure there is nothing you want?"

Again the image of what she saw in the robe shop popped into her mind, but Lily shook her head and said, "No. There's really nothing. Tell your father I said thank you, but I don't require anything."

Shrugging, Rudolphus and Regulus were about to leave the unlikely trio when Bellatrix piped up, "Oh! Before you both go, let's see what Lily and I got with our stews!"

"Right," Regulus said, in a rather bored voice, almost like his older brother, Sirius'. "You first cousin."

Smiling Bellatrix took her oyster, which had cooled down during their meal, and opened it like a jewelry box. From inside she pulled out a golden necklace, with deep purple teardrop gems hanging on it.

"Very beautiful. Just like you, love," her boyfriend said while putting it on her neck.

Kissing him appreciatively on the cheek she replied, "Thank you, dear heart. Now, let's see what Lily got," she said in a playful tone.

Hiding her excitement as best as she could, Lily opened her oyster the way Bellatrix had. But instead of finding a necklace or another piece of jewelry, there was a folded piece of parchment with spiky hand writing that had her name on it, propped up by a black silk lump.

Taking the letter and handing the opened shell to Severus, Lily unfolded it and read:

"Ms. Lily Evans,

This is your repayment for what happened earlier in my menagerie. My client saw the whole thing and has asked me to present you with this, as a token of his esteem for handling his pet as delicately as you did.

We sincerely hope you enjoy it, and good luck at Hogwarts this year.

Many thanks,

Claude Lestrange"

Pulling the lump gently out of the shell, Lily gasped. Holding it close to her, she saw that it was the dress from Tatters and Tattings.

It was a form-fitting, low-shouldered, black silk dress with green cloth at the chest and at the bottom, fanning out between the black silk. The inside was done in the same green fabric. The sleeves were green and pointed into an arrow inside the black silk, which was slit at elbow length. The outline of the shoulders and green sleeves were trimmed in silver, while the waist was stitched with a band of silver.

**"Wow!"** Severus thought, while imagining what Lily would look like in the dress.

"Very nice," Bellatrix said in a silky voice. "It looks very Slytherin, and it goes so well with your eyes and hair, Lily."

"You think so?" Lily asked, looking at the dress fondly.

"Well, I guess I better go and let father know you liked the gift," Rudolphus said. "Let's go, Reg. You're starting to drool."

"I am not!" Regulus exclaimed while they walked away from the others.

Shaking her head, Bellatrix grabbed Lily's dress and placed it in her bag. Then she took her arm in hers, like she did before, and they went to the nearest bookstore, Severus following and watching the two girls as they made their way through the crowd.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Careless Whispers**

After the events that happened to her this morning, Lily was starting to really like Bellatrix, but not too much. She was still suspecious as to what the other witch was planning. But as the day wore on and the trio had finished getting their supplies, Lily almost did not want to leave when a clock in a near-by shop announced that it was fifteen minutes until six o'clock.

"It's a shame you two have to leave," Bellatrix said as she escorted them out of Knockturn Alley and into the Flooing Room of the Leaky Cauldron.

"I know," Severus said. "But I promised Lily's father that I would see her back home after her shopping," he added, grabbing their bundles while Lily gathered some Floo powder in her hand for the both of them.

"Oh well. I guess I'll see both on the Hogwarts Express," Bellatrix said, then left the room at the turn of a heel.

Looking back to make sure the door was completely shut, Lily turned to Severus and said, "That was a good excuse, Sev."

"I know," he replied. "I'm just sorry we didn't get a chance to spend this time with just the two of us like we used to."

Pondering this quickly Lily said, "I know. Why don't we meet at our house around one o'clock on Monday? That way we can take a look at our new books and get a head's up on what we'll be studying for our OWLs."

"Very well then," Severus said brightening up. "And why don't we have lunch together, like we did before? Do you still have that picnic basket your mother gave you last time?"

"Of course I do. That's a splendid idea, Sev!" Lily exclaimed.

Grabbing her things, Lily took her powder and made her way to the fireplace. When she got inside the warmth of the emerald flames she cried out "Number 13, Westminster Road!", and was whipped out of her friend's sight.

When she emerged from the fireplace in her living room it was completely empty. So she decided to take her belonging upstairs to her room and try on her new dress. She would greet them later and surprise them in it.

As she was climbing up she heard voices in her parents' room, which was the first door on the landing. Taking more stealthy steps, for she was curious by nature, Lily crept to the slightly ajar door and peeked inside. Her parents were sitting on their bed, holding hands, and seemed to be discussing something.

Normally Lily would have left it at that, but then she heard her name being mentioned and decided to listen closely.

Her mother was nodding her head and saying, "I agree, Harry dear. I am proud of our Lily, and I am glad she is doing well in school. I just wish-"

"I know, Addy," her father interrupted. "I wish she was normal too, at least then we could know what was going on in her life. She's a good girl, smart, and a better fighter than the rest of my students, but it's almost like I don't really know her."

"I know how you feel," Adriana replied. "But, at least Hogwarts beats the alternative we had when she first started exhibiting her... _instabilities_."

Sighing heavily and sifted his fingers through his hair, "Yes. Hogwarts does seem to be a better place than St. Walton's."

Lily did not dare listen any longer. Somehow she had managed to silently creep into her room and lock the door. When she did that she placed her bags by the desk, climbed onto her bed, and broke into soft sobs, legs to her chest and arms on her knees.

"How long?" Lily thought sadly. "How long have they thought about this? How long have they thought I would have been better off in St. Walton's?

St. Walton's was a mental institution in the isolated, heavily wooded part of the country. She and Petunia went there on a school field trip, and Lily saw some children there that looked throughly haunted and miserable, like they had just experienced the Dementor's Kiss. She had never seen, or felt, such a sad and unhappy environment in her life. What was worse is that most of the guards and doctors were very hostile to the patients they were supposed to be helping.

She remained in that position until her crying stopped and her eyes were no longer red and puffy. She then got off her bed, took the bag that held her new dress, and tried it on. It fit her perfectly, and she decided that maybe going into Knockturn Alley was probably the best thing she has ever done since being brought into the wizarding world.

_"That and being friends with Severus," _Lily thought as she looked in the mirror. She did not even think twice that night when she saw a wicked, Bellatrix-like smile on her face.

When she woke up Monday morning she was going to act as if she never heard a word of her parents' conversation. She had managed to slip back down stairs, bags in hand, and make it look like she just got back when her mother and father went downstairs.

They asked her the usual questions "How was you day?", "Did you see some of your classmates?", and that sort of thing all day Sunday. She answered all of their questions, but did not tell them about her trip down Knockturn Alley, her meeting with her former rival, or her pleasant experience in the often-avoided district of the wizarding marketplace. Nor did she show them the dress she got for helping place a three-foot boa back in its cage.

No, she decided to keep her experience to herself for once.

_"Since they don't really trust me anyway, then they won't have to know if I was lying or not,"_ Lily thought bitterly as she got dressed. _"Afterall, they've been keeping secrets from me, why shouldn't I do the same?"_

Soon after, she got her textbooks out, laid them on the bed, and started putting them in her bag, along with some left over parchment from last year and some color-changing ink that she used for notetaking. Then she went down to breakfast and started cleaning up the dishes when they were all through. Petunia had to go back-to-school shopping and her parents had to work over at their businesses, so Lily was pretty much left to her own devices.

"Are you sure you will be okay by yourself, Tigress?" her father asked before leaving with his wife for work.

"Yes, I'm sure," Lily said, then asked quickly. "Papa, do you mind if I go hang out with Sev later on today, around one? I promised we would have a picnic while discussing some topics for school today."

"Sounds great, dear," Harry said loudly as Petunia started coughing what sounded like "Nerd" from the doorway.

After that, both the family car and Petunia's 1974 Plymouth drove off, leaving Lily alone to think about her next move as she started doing dishes.

"I could just follow through as planned and meet Sev at the old house."

_"Why do that? Why not just invite him over? You have the house to yourself for a few short hours."_

"I can't! What if mum, dad or Petunia comes in and mistake it for something else. Besides, they probably have Ms. Sullivan watching the house like she did last time."

_"True. It would also be pretty irritating to see that smug look on that horse's face if you and Sev started kissing and were caught like she was with that walrus."_

"Ye- I mean, no! The chances of Sev and I kissing are very slim. We're just friends so that could never happen..."

Even as she thought this the dream of her and Severus doing that exact same thing came into her mind. She imagined his arms around her. The way his heart was beating in tune with hers. The way his lips and mouth tasted as they started exploring each other, almost merging as one...

Only when she felt a splash of water down her front did Lily wake up from her fantasy. She looked down and saw there was soapy water cascading down the front of the sink like a waterfall down to the floor. She quickly turned off the faucet, grabbed a large towel from the cabinet above the sink, and laid it down on the floor to soak up the mess.

_"Good going Evans!"_ both her thoughts said as she started cleaning up the mess.

After much mopping, drying and changing her shirt, Lily finally had time to get her books and make the picnic lunch for her and Severus. She packed two bottles of butterbeer, which she got before leaving The Leaky Cauldron, four corned beef sandwiches, two apples and some treats for Reinfield, who usually stayed at the old house when not in service. All of that packed and ready she made her way out of the house- which she locked up- spare set of keys in hand, wand tucked into her jeans for easy access, bookbag in one hand and the basket in the other.

When she got to the park Lily saw an all-too familiar sight. Huddled under a tree, in a tattered shirt, was a figure that had jet black hair hanging down in curtains, hiding a face.

Frightened Lily ran to the figure, only to discover that it was not a beaten up Severus Snape, but a young girl, not much older than eight years old. Her eyes, which were an off-shade of brown, were barely visible by the blue-black circles around them. She was barefooted and there were bloody scratches running from her toes to her knees. Apparantly more were hidden underneath the overlong tunic dress, and a few showed on her arms accompanied by more bruises.

Bending down carefully Lily whispered kindly, "Hello. Are you okay?"

"Yes," the girl replied in a strained voice. "I was just being bad. Dad said if I didn't stop, then I would go to St. Waltons."

"Why would your dad say you were bad?" Lily asked, though anger was slowly bubbling up inside of her.

"Because he's favorite paper rolls were on the floor in front of me, and they were dancing and pulling themselves apart," the girl replied. "Dad says I did all of that, but I don't know how. They were already on the floor and when I was just looking at them, they did that."

Lily could already guess what those 'paper rolls' were. It was common for most people on Spinner's End to have marijuana joints hidden in their homes. Obviously the little girl's father was about to enjoy his stash until he had to leave, and then she came in and used magic on the "paper rolls" without knowing it.

Just then the girl's stomach rumbled, and Lily reached into the basket and pulled out one of the sandwiches and an apple. She gave them to the girl, who tried to refuse, but took them when her stomach protested again.

Getting up to leave the red head looked at the girl and said in a reassuring voice, "Don't worry about your dad and his threat to take you to St. Waltons. When you get older, probably around eleven, you will understand why some of these things are happening to you."

"Y-You mean it?" the girl stammered hopefully.

"Of course," Lily said with a smile. "So, keep yourself out of trouble and come here if you want a place to calm down. The trees over by the swings are a good place to rest."

As she left the park to go to her and Severus' house, Lily had to restrain herself to not go the other way and find the girl's father.

_ "Typical that a Muggle should think that way. First my own parents, and now that girl's father. If anybody needs to go to that asylum it's them and anyone else who thinks like that," _Lily thought to herself and advanced to her destination.

Little did she know that the girl was still watching her, except her eyes had turned red, and the pupils were like that of a cat.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: The Private Car**

The rest of the week seemed to have passed by in the blink of an eye. Soon Lily and Severus were at the barrier that separated King's Cross from platform nine and three-quarters. When they reached it they leaned casually against the cold metal and came on the other side, looking at the scarlet engine of the Hogwarts Express.

As they were making their way to the train many heads and eyes turned to the direction of where the two were walking, all gazes on Lily, who was already in her school uniform, save for her long black robes. She had on a sleek, black skirt that came just above the knees, a button-down white collared shirt and tie with the Gryffindor House crest, and a gray sweater vest. Her red hair was currently flowing down over her shoulders, and held back by some plain white clips on the sides of her temples.

When they came to the first open door of the train, a few of Lily's male admirers came and offered to take her trunk to an empty compartment.

"No need for that," Severus said in a cold, irritated voice. "I've got it."

Helping him, and refusing anymore offers from the boys, Lily and Severus got onto the train before the warning whistle sounded for the train to depart the station.

"Come on," Lily said as they were walking down the aisle of the train. "Let's go find a compartment before the Prefects' meeting starts."

Along the way many more boys were pushing themselves close to glass windows of their compartments, trying to get a better view of the fiery red head they had dubbed their queen. Many shouts of invitations and wolf-whistles could be heard as they walked past each one. One compartment, which was halfway up the train, opened and out came the Marauders, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.

James Potter had untidy black hair, which he kept running his hand through whenever "Queen" Lily was around, black-colored glasses that covered hazel-brown eyes, and was currently wearing his school uniform, save for the vest and his shirt was untucked.

Sirius Black also had black hair, but it was sleek and came to his chin, and grayish black eyes. He had on his own school uniform, except the tie and vest was missing, and he had his shirt unbuttoned and wrinkled, like he had just slept in it.

Remus Lupin, on the other hand, looked like the prime example of how a private school scholar should look like. He had his entire uniform on, including the black school robes, and it was pressed to perfection. His brown hair was well kept in natural waves and his golden-brown eyes shown with laughter and respect.

"Hard to believe he's a Marauder and the brains to their pranks," Lily thought with a smile.

Peter Pettigrew was entirely different from his other three friends. Whereas they were tall, well-built, and in their uniforms, he was the opposite. He was dressed in over-baggy Muggle clothes, consisting of plaid pants, a canary-yellow shirt and black dress shoes. His eyes, a pale blue, were constantly watery and beady, and he had a twitchy manner that Lily could recall was like that of a scarred rat.

"Why if it isn't the Queen of Hogwarts! The angel sent from Heaven itself!" Potter declared. "She has once again come to grace our unworthy eyes with her beauty and our humble lives with her presence," he added, bowing down low as if meeting the Queen of England herself.

Placing her trunk quickly in front of her legs as James was making his bow, she turned her attention to the other Marauders, "Hello Sirius, Remus, Peter."

"Hello Lily," Remus said with a shy smile. They had been on good terms with each other since first year.

"H-H-Hi, L-L-Lily," Peter stammered, before promply collapsing in his seat in a faint, a silly smile on his face.

"Hullo Evans!" Sirius said, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "Ready for this year's Dueling Club tournament?"

Laughing at her persistant competitor Lily said, "Yes I am. But I believe the real question is: Are you ready to lose for the fourth year in a row? Or should I count that as fifth year in a row, considering that you lost to me in first year when you tried to use a bat-bogey hex on me and I countered with-"

"Hey!" Sirius replied in the same teasing manner. "That does _not_ count as a duel! I was merely trying to help Prongs here improve his wrist movements," he said pointing to his still bowing friend.

"Of course you were," Lily said than walked off, Severus following close behind with a smirk on his face.

When they were further away and out of earshot of the band of troublemakers, Lily turned to Severus and asked, "Alright, what did you do?"

"What do you mean?" he countered in a nonchalent voice.

"You know exactly what I mean," Lily said in a low voice, thought she could not keep a small smile from creeping on her lips. "Usually Potter gets out of his bowing position and starts trying to flirt with me before his fellow Marauders are finished talking. So, what did you do?"

Smiling at Lily, Severus replied, "I simply placed a imbolizing charm on him and used that new spell I perfected last year. You know, the one that glues his tongue to his mouth."

Placing a hand over her mouth to stiffle her laughter Lily opened the door to an empty compartment where she and Severus placed their trunks in the overhead shelf. Once they sat down they noticed they still had a good thirty minutes left, so they started talking about what they expected Hogwarts was going to be like that year.

"It will, no doubt, be very hard," Severus commented. "This is the year of our OWLs, and the teachers are going to be expecting us to remember everything we've learned since first year. Not to mention all of the extra courses we took."

Nodding in agreement the red head then cracked a mischievious smile.

"What is it?" Severus asked curiously.

"Just wondering, do you think Potter is still under the impression I'm taking Divination classes?" Lily asked, her smile widening.

When the students had started choosing their courses at the end of second year, James Potter had just announced- publically and loudly on top of the Gryffindor table during break- that he was in love with Lily Evans, and had made it his mission to know what classes she would be taking so he could join her.

Fortunatly, Lily got wind of his plan and started spreading rumors that she was taking Arthimacy, Ancient Runes, Divination, and Care of Magical Creatures in that order. What Potter did not know is that Lily was actually taking all of those classes, except Divination, at the same time as Severus. So Potter had missed his chance at trying to join her in her classes, and was stuck in Divination for one period while Lily spent that time with Severus in the library studying.

"If he is, he's probably more dense than we gave him credit for," he said, then they both started laughing at the thought of Potter still looking for Lily in the cramped tower room.

"So that's why he was always looking so defeated after every class," a voice replied.

Severus and Lily turned in time to see Bellatrix in her usual school attire, leaning on the side of the door and smiling at Lily like she had just won first place in a school fair.

"Who ever knew you had such a sneaky side, Lily? Except for maybe you, Severus," she added, smiling wider.

"It wasn't exactly sneaky, per se," Lily said, trying to hide the small smirk that was trying to be seen. "It was more of a way for me to get Potter away from me for a few hours a day. He practically smothers me when we're in the Gryffindor common room, and he has an annoying habit of trying to corner me alone in the corridors."

Laughing more definatly, Bellatrix came into the compartment, sat down beside Lily and placed an arm around her shoulders.

"Now Lily, there's no reason to deny it," Bellatrix said, as though she were speaking to a child. "Everybody already knows you're quite cunning, so why bother trying to hide it? And speaking of hiding," she added, looking around the compartment in a disapproving way, "why are you two in here? It's way too cramped in here."

"Well, Bellatrix," Severus said, "We wanted to be closer to the Prefects' car for when the meeting comes around."

Making a shooing motion with hand, like she did at the Silver Tongue, Bellatrix got up and pulled Lily with her, saying, "There's plenty of room in our car and you're both welcome to come join us."

"We couldn't impose, Bellatrix," Lily replied, trying to figure out who the "us" was that the black-haired witch was referring to.

"Oh, nonsense," she said, summoning their robes from the overhead shelves. "Just put these on and we'll be on our way. You can leave your trunks here, nobody will bother them."

Leading the way once more, Bellatrix took Lily and Severus further up the train, past the Prefects' car, and into a more spacious car that was decked out in the Slytherin colors. There were crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, tables along the wall and the seats were padded in emerald green with silver buttons along the outline. The tables were packed with food, and sitting at the tables were most of the fifth year Slytherins and a few younger students.

There was Bellatrix's seventh year sister, Andromeda, Rudolphus, Regulus, Avery, Mulciber, Karkaroff, Rookwood, and some girls that Lily did not know, but could guess were either the former four's girlfriends or Bellatrix's dormmates. Possibly both.

"Hello there, Lily, Severus," Rudolphus said, greeting them both with a smile.

"Hello," Lily said hesitantly while Severus just nodded in acknowledgement.

"Have a seat over here, Lily," the girl, Andromeda offered, patting on a seat next to her. She looked a little like Bellatrix in the face, but she had brown hair, blue eyes, and had a kinder, sincerer smile than her sister's. Upon looking closely at the emblem on her robes, which had a black background and a yellow otter, Lily saw she was from Hufflepuff.

"Oh yes," Andromeda said, smiling down at her patch. "Looks like Sirius was not the only one to break the tradition. 'All Blacks go to Slytherin'," she quoted in explaination to Lily's questioning look.

"Yes, well, we try to overlook that," Bellatrix said, smiling at her sister in a false manner.

"So Evans," Mulciber said, trying to distract her from the tension between the two sisters, "what brings you here to our private car? With the exception of Andi there, we usually don't allow people from other Houses inside. OW!"

"Don't mind him, Miss Lily," Karkaroff said in his heavy Bulgarian accent. He was a transfer student from Durmstrang School of Sorcery, who arrived last year. "Mulciber here just doesn't like change. He veally needs to get vith the times."  
>At that Severus got up and motioned for Lily to follow, "Speaking of times, I think it's best that we head to the Prefects' car. We only have five minutes left."<p>

"Is it time already?" Bellatrix asked in disappointment. "Oh well, we'll be right back. By the way, Mulciber?" she added, walking out the door. "Don't eat all of the food. Okay? Bye!"

Closing the door on the rowdy laughter, the trio of Prefects went to the Prefects' car and found some seats around the table that was there.

At the table was the Head Boy and Girl, Armand Shore and Ariel Gasp, the sixth year Ravenclaw Prefects, Uther Cleawater and Morgana Freeman, the sixth year Hufflepuffs, Amos Diggery and Shelia Masterson, and, finally, the other Gryffindor Prefect...Remus Lupin.

"Well," the Head Boy said, rubbing his hands togther, "now that our other Gryffindor and Slytherin Prefects have arrived, let's get started. Our first oder of business..."

As the meeting wore on Lily noticed that Remus' eyes were constantly going back and forth between her, and the two Slytherins she came in with. The golden orbs kept giving her a worried expression, and Lily knew she would have to explain the situation to him sooner or later.

Once the meeting was ajurned the Prefects and Heads proceeded out of the car, but Remus pulled Lily aside so he could talk to her in private.

"You two go on ahead. I'll meet you back in the car," Lily said to Bellatrix and Severus as they exited to their car.

Rounding on Remus Lily said, "I assume you want to know what I'm doing with Severus and Bellatrix. Correct?"

"Severus I can understand, considering he's been your best mate since before Hogwarts," Lupin confirmed. "However, it's Bellatrix I'm worried about. Lily, she's been your rival since day one, and now you're actually hanging out with her?"

"In a way I am," Lily answered, folding her arms over her chest. "She met Sev and I at the Leaky Cauldron and said she wanted to make peace with me before school ended."

"You actually believe her?" he asked incredilously.

Smirking Lily replied, "Not by a long shot. I have a feeling she's up to something, so I'm just going to wait and see what it is she's planning. Especially if Sev's involved. You know how unpopular he is, even amoung the Slytherins. She may try to harm him if we're not too careful."

"He's suspecious of her, too?" Lupin asked, eyebrows raised.

Rolling her eyes she said, "Of course he does, oh Brains of the Marauders. Sev isn't stupid. And neither am I," she stated shutting the door behind her.

As Remus and Lily were having their talk, Bellatrix was having onr of her own with the other Slytherins. Andromeda had left eariler to find her boyfriend, Ted Tonks, and the other girls left to get ready for their arrival at school.

"Everything seems to be going according to plan," Bellatrix said.

Mulciber grunted.

"Is there a problem, Mulciber?" Bellatrix asked, eyes narrowed.

"No," though his tone indicated differently. "I just don't really like the thought of the Dark Lord wanting a Mudbl- AHHHHH!" he screamed.

Bellatrix kept her wand held at him while he gasped and cried in agony, her eyes glistening with enjoyment mixed with anger.

"Guess what," she said, finally lowering her wand, "it doesn't really matter what you like. If the Dark Lord wishes for her to join our cause, then she will join. We just have to stick to the plan and get her more interested in the Dark Arts. Once that is done, and she starts to enjoy their uses, then we will have another witch inducted into the his services."

"That won't be easy," Severus spoke up. Then turning his full attention to Bellatrix, "She is still suspecious of you, and is waiting to see what is really going on. She may figure out the plan before its completion."

"How would you know that Snape?" Avery asked with a leery smile.

Smirking back, Snape replied, "I've known her since we were nine years old. She is intelligent, cunning, intuitive, and, most of all, patient. She will play along for a while, but will not get too absorbed into the world we are introducing her to. She dislikes Dark magic, and would never use it by any means."

He remembered the internal fight Lily had with herself a few weeks ago, and knew, if worse came to worse, she would rather die than use Dark magic.

But Bellatrix replied, "Yet you're not intirely convinced of that, are you, Severus? I saw how she handled herself in Knockturn Alley. I saw how her eyes lit up when she saw that dress and those snakes. I saw how well she handled that boa back in Claude's shop. She looked like she felt at home there.

"It seems as though little goody-goody Lily has a stronger Dark side than either of us have thought," Bellatrix continued. "And, from what the Dark Lord has informed me, her happy little home life seems to be crumbling and revealing its true nature. She's already at odds with her full-Muggle sister, and her parents seem to have been regretting her being a witch."

This little bit of news had peaked Severus' interest. How could Harry and Adriana Evans, the best people Severus had ever met in his life, who had supported Lily in her journey to becoming a powerful witch, just say they regretted her being what she is? He would have to talk with her later and see.

Hearing footsteps approaching the door Bellatrix made a motion with her hands for everybody to start talking.

When she entered, Lily saw everybody deep in discussion and Bellatrix motioned her to seat between herself and Severus. Then everybody grabbed something from the table, except for Mulciber who was hunched over in pain.

"What's wrong with him?" Lily asked, actually concerned for him.

"Oh nothing," Bellatrix answered dismissfully. "He just tried to eat too much too fast."

Somewhat satisfied with the answer, Lily joined in the conversation that had just accumulated around the table.

A few hours later everybody got off the Hogwarts Express. Lily decided to get a carriage with her other friends, Mary MacDonald, Amelia Bones, and Sheila Finnigan, and so waved good bye to her Slytherin companions. She quickly found them in a carriage and was pulled in by all three girls. The carried moved on its own accord and headed for the castle.

On the way Lily's friends quickly bombarded her with questions.

"Where have you been?" Mary asked.

"I tried to find you in Diagon Alley last week, but you weren't there!" exclaimed Amelia.

"I heard you were hanging out with the Slytherins on the Express. Is that true?" Sheila demanded.

"Enough already!" Lily shouted. "Okay, first of all...Mary, I've been busy these past few weeks, so I'm sorry I didn't owl you about what was going on. Amelia, I went school shopping the week before, that's why you haven't seen me. And Sheila," she said turning to the girl in front of her, "I was only in their private car for only a few minutes. It was next door to the Prefects car, and I wanted to check to see if it wasn't too rowdy."

"You made Prefect!" they all exclaimed with awe.

"Yeah, I did," Lily said, slipping her wand back into her sleeve.

_"Wait until Severus learns that you used a non-verbal Confounding spell,"_ the voice inside Lily said, teetering.

Yet, Lily did not really seem to care.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Disinfecting**

After the Sorting Ceremony and the Start of Term Feast, it was time for the Prefects to show the new first years where they would be staying for the next seven years.

"First years, this way please," Lily and Remus called as everybody else headed to their dorms.

"Alright," Lily began as they stood at the head of the table. "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My name is Lily Evans and this is Remus Lupin. We are your House Prefects. It's our job to make sure all of the students find their classes, dormatories, and other rooms, and to make sure they all follow the rules. Or, at least, to make sure they do not cause you any bodily damage because of a few silly pranks," she added, smirking at the Marauder beside her.

A few of the new students laughed while Remus looked annoyed at his partner, but with a smile on his face as well.

"So, if you have any questions please feel free to contact us, or another Prefect at anytime," Remus concluded. Then they both showed the first years the direct path to the Gryffindor Tower.

"Please try to pay close attention, and mind the staircases. They like to change from time to time," Lily instructed, showing them all the staircases that kept changing direction. "Also," she added jumping over a particular step," this one likes to Vanish when it is stepped on. So please be careful and help each other up and down to the one after it."

"Yes Ms. Evans," they chorused, taking her advise and helping each other up.

When the last one had crossed over, they finally made their way to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, which was covered by a portrait of a fat lady in a fluffy pink dress.

"Password?" the lady asked.

"Listen carefully now," Remus said to the students. Then to the Fat Lady he said, "Lion's Den."

At once the portrait opened to reveal the common room. Everything was decked in the Gryffindor colors- red and gold- and a crackling fire was burning in the fireplace.

"Now then," Lily said, standing next to her partner in front of the first years, who were starring around the room in awe. "This is the Gryffindor Common Room. This is where everybody gathers to relax, hang out with friends, or try to study."

More laughter followed and Remus had to clear his throat before continuing, "The dorm rooms are up the stairs. Girls' on the right, boys' on the left, and you will find your belongings already upstairs."

"Any questions before you all head to bed?" Lily asked politely.

A small boy with spiky blonde hair held up his hand and asked, "Yes. Are you dating anybody right now?"

The whole common room erupted into laughter from the first years and Prefects, and Lily blushed before saying, "No, and I'm afraid you're a bit too young for that right now. Now, off to bed! You all have a big day ahead!"

Giggling the students went to their respective dormatories. The girls were still laughing about the boy had asked, and another boy hit him on the shoulder asking his friend, "What were you thinking?"

"I don't know, it just came out!" he said, face completely red.

Walking to the couch by the fire the two Prefects were still laughing when Lupin said, "Looks like Prongs has some competition already and classes hasn't even started yet."

"I know. Poor thing, I hope he didn't take it too hard," Lily said, misty-eyed from all the laughing.

Suddently a flash of color came in front of Lily and scooped her up into a tight embrace, holding her as though for dear life.

"POTTER!" Lily screamed, trying to get out of the uncalled for hug. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"

"Don't worry, Queen Lily, I'll make it better. I know you're just suffering from a traumatic experience, but you'll be okay. Your Golden Knight is here for you," Potter said, still holding on to his grip.

Not being able to stand it any longer, Lily summoned her magic and made a brilliant aura come out of her body. The light had illuminated her entire appearance so much that she looked like she had swallowed the moon, the burning fire, and two shining emerald stars all at the same time.

Soon James, who was starting to go blind by the sudden radiance of her power, released his hold on her and backed into a couch so fast it tumbled over, and he landed on his back.

"Now," Lily said, the light fading back into nothingness as she approached him, "I will repeat. What the bloody hell do you think you were doing, Potter? What was that all about?"

Getting up from his position Potter answered, in a serious tone, "I was trying to disinfect you, Evans."

"Disinfect me?" Lily asked angrily.

"Yes. Trying to cure whatever disease those damned Slytherins had tried to infect you with," he responded. "I saw what happened a few weeks ago. You came out of the Leaky Cauldron with Snivellus and Slutatrix. You were about to walk to Gringott's but she looped one of her arms in yours and lead you into Knockturn Alley."

"What!" Remus said, looking appalled.

"Why didn't you break off and leave, Evans?" Sirius, who was behind James, asked. "You know that place is crawling with a bunch of dark wizarding bigots. It's suicide for a Muggleborn to even come near the corner of that place!"

"Can't I help it if your cousin has a firm grip?" Lily said. "Besides, as I'm sure Remus informed you, she was hoping to put our animosity behind us before we left Hogwarts."

"And you believed her?" Potter asked, shocked.

"That's exactly what Remus said, and I told him exactly what I'm telling you: Not by a long shot. I knew she would be up to something, so I decided to stick around and see," Lily answered. "Like my father always said 'Let your opponet make the first move, so you will know how to strike back', and if I remember correctly, that served me well the entire time I've been here. So don't ever think that I can't take of myself, Mr. Second-Best-Duelist."

That last part made Potter cringe. Everytime he came close to beating Lily in the Dueling Tournament, he wound up getting into second place. He hated losing to anybody, even his beautiful and talented crush.

With that, Lily went up the stairs to her dorm. But before she entered she turned back and called, "Oh, and James!"

Turning his body towards her, she placed her wand at his jugular and threatened, "If you ever try to _disinfect_ me, in anyway, shape or form, ever again, you'll be lucky to be out of St. Mungo's by your NEWTs."

Leaving a teardrop-shaped red mark where she had her wand, Lily turned back up the stairs and went into her room. There she changed into her pajamas, climbed into bed and went to sleep.

"He is the most arrogant, delusional, self-proclaiming Bludger of a man I ever had the displeasure to know!" Lily screeched to her friend under the beech tree.

Lily and Severus were sitting in their usual spot by the Black Lake on the first Tuesday of classes. They had just come out of Transfiguration class where James Potter and Sirius Black had managed to make the tables start bucking like hippogriffs, and had sent them in a stampede down the corridors, scarring most of the students into hysterics.

She and Severus had spent the remainder of the period trying to round them all up and charm them back into still desks. They had only just finished when the bell rang. Fortunatly, they had break at this time and the two pranksters had class, so they were free of them for a while.

"I don't know what's worse," Lily sighed, laying flat on her back and looking up at the leaves, "him turning half the classroom into a corrale, or trying to _disinfect_ me."

"Disinfect you?" Severus asked, leaning against the tree and watching Lily. There was nothing that he loved more than hearing the woman he loved berate the man he hated.

"Yes," Lily said, then explained the events that happened last night in the common room.

After the story Severus looked angry, but he quickly said, "I wish I could have been there when you blinded him, or when you threatened him to keep his distance."

"Thanks," she replied, exassperated. "I just wish there was a way I could disinfect him, and his ego, permantly."

"Maybe there is," he said, thinking and coming up with an idea. "But first, you have to promise you won't let anybody, not even your friends, know what is going on."

"Okay then," she said, skeptically and coming closer to him.

"Next," he added quickly, knowing what was coming as he leaned closer to her, "You have to trust me. It's going to take some planning, and we're going to need the help of the others."

"By others," Lily asked, looking him in the eyes, "you mean Bellatrix, Rudolphus and Regulus?"

"Exactly," Severus nodded, then smiled when he saw a vindictive gleam and smile light up her face and eyes.

_**"Potter's in for it now!"**_ they both thought together.

Two weeks of preparing and practicing had finally come to an end. When the fifth years were outside, enjoying a warm, September Saturday before lunch, Lily and her friends, Mary, Amelia and Sheila were out by the lake, exactly as she had planned. Bellatrix and Rudolphus were by the second floor corridor, next to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, in position with their wands and heavy books. Severus was over by the lake, pretending to read a book, while Lily passed by, only to give her a clear liquid in a tiny phial when she passed. Then Regulus was in his final position, next to the Gryffindor changing rooms, after he had whipped his wand over a set of Potter's casual robes, drenching them in the same clear liquid Severus gave to Lily by the lake.

Right on schedule Regulus came past the beech tree, followed by Potter in his casual robes at a few paces, and gave Severus a quick nod. Severus returned it and gave a loud stage cough, and when Lily turned her head she met his eyes. Then she announced loudly to her friends, and Potter, who saw her get up from her position by the lake, "Sorry girls, but I'm afraid I have to go use the bathroom."

"Not Myrtle's Lily!" Mary exclaimed. "Can't you wait until the first floor bathroom is fixed."

Just yesterday, somebody (Rudolphus) set the first floor bathrooms in such a fine state that the toilets, u-bends, and sinks started to buck up out of the walls. He had used Sirius's wand to do it, and Sirius was sent to detention for the whole weekend when a charm was used to determine if it was his spell. Not surprising, considering it was the same charm he used on McGonagall's desk two weeks ago.

"Myrtle isn't that bad, Mary," Lily said, moving in the direction of the castle and ignoring Potter on the way.

Potter, who was standing there with his arms wide open, lowered them and followed her at a casual pace. He hated being ignored by Lily more than he hated losing to her.

_"He takes the bait,"_ Lily thought as she made her way quickly to the second floor bathrooms.

She quickly rounded the corner and used her wand to make it look like she just opened the door. Potter, after looking around to make sure no one would see him, went in. Before the door closed a heavy tome was thrown at the ghost girl, hovering by and that is when the "disinfecting" began.

Moaning Myrtle saw the boy, who she thought had thrown the book at her, started crying and flooded the entire bathroom. The toilets and sinks started overflowing with water, and James Potter was drenched so badly he ran out the door. He did not notcie the pool of clear liquid that was mingled with the overflow and feel in with a splash.

"Bloody hell, Myrtle!" he shouted at the still crying girl. "Will you please stop it! You're getting the floors all wet!"

"He really needs to learn how to actually comfort a girl before trying to date one," Bellatrix whispered as she, Lily and Rudolphus snuck away from the scene, laughing.

"Maybe he will," Lily said before they were at the entrance to the Great Hall, "once he is the one that will need some comfort."

With that she went off to join the other Gryffindors for lunch. What she did not see was the exchanged smirks the fifth year Slytherins give each other at the far table. Their plan was working faster than they thought.

"You know," Bellatrix said while the food appeared on the plates, "maybe we should make it a point to have her join us for a meal not too far in the future."

"Agreed," Severus nodded, nibbling on an apple. "We should also try to keep her away from the other Gryffindors as much as possible. Especially Po-"

He stopped and looked at the opened oaked doors along with the rest of the hall. There he was, in a plain view, James Potter holding his arms away from his robes and having a look of outright rage and embarrassment plastered on his face. Which was practically all he was wearing at the moment, save for a pair of boxers with Snitches threaded on them and his trainers.

"EVANS!" he cried, advancing his way toward the smiling red head and past a wave of laughter from all of the student body. Even the professors found it hard to try to keep a straight face.

"P-Potter," Lily stammered, trying to hold in her laughter, "you k-know that isn't regulation school wear, right? I-I know it's the weekend, but you still n-need to b-be pr-properly dressed!"

With that she bursted out laughing like everybody else, and Potter's face got even redder. He grabbed Lily by the wrist and forcefully yanked her out of her seat.

The laughter died out and half of the boys in the Hall let up from their seats. Severus amoung them, holding his wand firmly in hand and advancing to the Gryffindor table to intervene. The boys that were closer to the scene were shouting profanities at Potter for treating a woman so roughly.

"You did this Evans!" Potter declared, squeezing her wrist tighter. "You knew I would follow you to that damned bathroom, and you pulled this stunt!"

"I don't know what you are talking about!" she hissed back through clentched teeth, trying to hold in her tears and keeping her voice level. "Besides, you should know better than to follow a girl into a bathroom in the first place. Whoever did pull this prank on you deserves a round of applause, but I suppose if it was not a prank by the oh-so-great James Potter, it's a crime. Isn't it, you egotistical hypocrite?" she spat out.

At those words Potter snarled and gave her wrist a final squeeze, at which Lily screamed, before dropping it and rushing to the door.

Clutching her wrist in pain Lily tried to move it, but it hurt so badly she screamed again.

"Let me through! Let me through! I'm a fellow Prefect!" Severus said as he fought through the crowd that had gathered around the victim.

"Let me see that, Lily," he said kindly, then he took it gingerly in his hand and started inspecting it. "We'll have to go to Madam Pomfery to get it fixed. I'm afraid it might be broken."

Nodding becasue she was afraid her voice would betray her, Lily let Severus lead her out of the Great Hall. Then he said outloud, "Fifty points from Gryffindor for following a girl into a bathroom, and another fifty for the harming of a student and Prefect."

With that the two went to the hospital wing of the school.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Punishments and Picnics**

"Lily!" a voice cried from the entrance to the hospital wing.

Turning to the sound of the voice Lily and Severus saw the other Gryffindor Prefect, Remus Lupin, trot to the bed where they were both sitting with a worried look on his face and a bouquet of buttercups in his hands.

"Hey Remus," Lily said with a wince. She had just got to the hospital and was waiting for Madam Pomfery to inspect her wrist, which was still being gingerly held by Severus.

"Lupin," Severus said curtly. "Here as Potter's representative?" he asked, noticing the buttercups tied with a yellow ribbon.

"No, I'm not," he answered, his voice uncharacteristically hard. "I'm here of my own accord to see Lily."

Turning his eyes to her he said, "I heard about what happened between you and James. I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop him, and I'm sorry for what he did to you," he then handed her the flowers.

Smiling, Lily took them with her good hand and placed them on the bedside stand, where a vase filled with water had just appeared.

"Thank you, Remus. I appreciate the guesture," she replied.

Just then Madam Pomfery arrived and shooed the boys away so she could have some privacy with her patiant.

"Since you two are Prefects, kindly keep everybody else from coming inside," the nurse said in an annoyed voice as she pointed to the door.

Looking at the door the trio noticed a large que of male and female admirers, each holding a bouquet of flowers, chocolates and cards. Some were jumping on tiptoe trying to get a look at their injured idol, while others were trying to sneak their way to the front and enter the wing unnoticed.

"Alright, move out of the way!" Remus shouted at the crowd, using his magic to push them out of the entrance. "This is a hospital zone, not a place to get autographs!"

"She's only been minorly wounded! She isn't dying!" Severus shouted, trying to help Lupin move the throng back. "If you want to know who put her in the hospital wing in the first place, then go find James Potter! He's the one who broke her wrist!"

"WHAT!" the crowd exclaimed at once.

"I thought he liked her. Why did he do that?"  
>"Just because somebody pulled a prank on <em>him<em> doesn't give him the right to take it out on Lily!"

"Who does he think he is?"

"WHERE IS HE?" the crowd shouted in unison.

"There he is!" a boy shouted, pointing down the hall.

James Potter had changed out of his "robes" and into new ones in Gryffindor tower. When he had finished, he realized what he had done and was coming to the hospital wing, bouquet of assorted flowers of every bright color he could find in his hand, and a big box of raspberry-flavored chocoballs in the other.

But when he came into view of the crowd he stopped dead in his tracks. Everyone, including his friend Remus, had their wands held out and were pointing them right at him. From over the heads of the mob he could see Lily's face, and he knew he blew his chances with her once and for all.

Her face was contorted into a mask of such fury that it would make the bravest lion cower, and her eyes... Her eyes held a mixture of heartbreak, hatred, and vengence that was so piercing it could have incinerated him from the inside out.

Looking over his shoulder for a second Severus saw the same look as Potter had, and was proud to see that it echoed the voice that was raging inside of her. That voice seem to have called out to him, and it said, _"GET HIM! MAKE HIM PAY FOR THIS!"_

Sensing the gazes from both Potter and Severus Lily turned her head to the later, furrowed her eyebrows, narrowed her eyes and nodded at him with the same wicked smile that she wore that summer after she overheard her parents conversation.

Turning back to Potter and the crowd, which had turned their attention to the black haired Prefect, Severus gave a quick nod and said to his nemesis, "Start running," before taking the first aim at him with his wand.

Potter dodged the attack and bolted back down the hall, followed by the mob that started chasing and hexing him. The bouquet left neglected and, surprisingly, untrampled by the rush of feet.

"Amazing what teengage hormones will do," Severus commented to Remus, who stayed positioned beside him, lowering his wand.

"Yes," Lupin whispered, lowering his wand and crossing his arms.

Checking to see that Lily and Madam Pomfery were not looking or listening, he whispered back, "Maybe if you actually did your job, and starting being more authoritive around your _friends_, your partner would not be in this mess. I assume that's Dumbledore gave you that badge in the _first_ place?"

Lowering his head the sandy-haired Prefect nodded. Then he replied, "There's another reason I came here."

"Oh?" Severus asked as Lupin lifted his head.

"I came here to tell Lily that James has been banned from all club activities that she is in for the remainder of his school career," he replied.

"Really?" the darker headed teen replied. He, along with Lily, Potter and the other Marauders, have been in the Potions, Charms and Dueling clubs since second year. He was sure Potter only participated in the Potions and Charms clubs just to be near Lily. So did Severus, of course, but at least _he_ was in her league when it came to the subjects, whereas Potter was anything but.

"Also," Lupin continued sadly, "he has been suspended from the Quidditch team until next year, _and_ he has detention every weekend until next September. Professor McGonagall was infuritated by his display in the Great Hall for, not only coming into the Hall before changing his 'attire', but for also causing injury to a Prefect and losing one hundred points for our House. She said that if he is not careful, he'll be suspended from Hogwarts and won't be able to take his OWLs until next year."

"_She_ was infuriated? What about Lily?" Severus exclaimed, turning his full attention to the other guard. "She's in here because of his callousness and his self-righteous attitude! And where were _you_ at that time? Huh? Playing Exploding Snap with Pettigrew in your common room or something?"

"No I was not!" Lupin shouted back, temper flaring. "I was at the top of the Astronomy Tower, deducting points and giving detentions to a couple up there that were getting carried away, and was coming down to lunch when I heard Moaning Myrtle's cries from three floors below. I took a short cut and saw James, completely drenched and half-naked in a puddle of water. I went to see what he was doing there, but before I could he ran to the Great Hall and I lost him in the crowd.

"By the time I fought my way through he was coming out of the Hall in nothing but his boxers and trainers, and then you passed by with Lily's wrist in your hands heading straight here. I pulled somebody out from the crowd, and they told me what happened," he concluded, finishing his account of what happened and breathing heavily.

Silence feel between the two, with only the occational gasp from Lily as the nurse was healing her wrist.

Just when it was getting too quiet for either of them, they heard footsteps coming their way.

Turning toward the sound they saw Bellatrix come toward them, a basket of food dangling from her right arm and a bottle of Instant Refilling Butterbeer in the other.

Standing at attention Remus said, "Sorry Bellatrix, but Lily can't have any visitors right now."

"I know. I just thought that, with all she had went through today, and no chance to have any lunch, she and Severus would like to join Rudolphus, Regulus and myself on a picnic by the lake," she replied with a sincere smile. Too sincere for Remus's taste.

"I thought you had already eaten," he said, skeptically.

"Who could have eaten anything at a time like that?" she said, as though explaining the obvious to a tempermental child. "After that little scene, everybody started leaving the Hall to tell everybody else about what had happened. Some even sent owls to Hogsmeade to get presents for Lily while others conjured flowers, or wrote a quick get well card."

"And you're not jealous of that?" Remus asked, still skeptical. The rivalry between how much attention everyone gave to one girl or the other has always been a cause of many hospital visits by both candidates.

Still smiling Bellatrix answered, "Of course not, silly boy. As I'm sure Lily has already told you, we've decided to put our differences behind us and be friends for the remainder of our school careers. What better way to do so than to have a consolation picnic by the lake?"

"I completely agree with you, Bellatrix," a voice from behind said before Remus could say much more.

Lily had just come out of the hospital with her wrist feeling better and fully functional.

Shaking her head Bellatrix reprimanded, "Like I told you on the train, Lily, call me 'Bella'. Now come on, we have to meet the others by the lake."

"Alright then, _Bella_," Lily replied with a smile. Turning to Severus she asked, "Are you going to come too, Sev?"

"Of course," he said with a smile he reserved only for her. "Besides, someone's got to be there if any fans try to mob you both. The top two girls in school, out by the lake on a sunny day, and with one just out of the hospital. Yes, I can see it will be necessary for more than Rudolphus and Regulus to be out there with you."

Laughing Bella, Severus and Lily headed down the hall and onto the school grounds, leaving a very worried and very stunned Lupin at the doors to the infirmary.

"I really hope you know what you're doing Lily. I don't want us to have to be enemies after this," he thought worriedly about his friend.

Besides the other Marauders, Lily was the only one who knew his secret.

When they had reached the entrance Rudolpus and Regulus were there waiting for them.

As were Lily and Bella's fans. They had somehow got wind of their plans and started gathering around the group, trying to get at them from behind some velvet ropes that someone had conjured. Some were screaming at the girls to get their attention, others were jumping up and down, waving pieces of parchment and quills for the girls to sign, and somebody kept taking pictures, filling the air with purple smoke.

The ropes were strecthed out to where the group were going for their picnic and encircled the spot like a private center. A few fans were trying to get past in order to take an item from the spot, like it was the last thing they would ever see in their lives.

"Don't you ever find this aggrevating, Bella?" Lily whispered as they made their way to the roped area, but waving and smiling all the same.

"Sometimes," Bella said, signing a piece of parchment from an eager fanboy. "But it dies away in a few minutes."

"Alright, back off you lot!" Rudolphus said, strengthening the barriers of velvet with a flick of his wand. "If you don't, we'll start actually charging you for autographs and pictures of the girls!"

"You heard him, sod off!" Severus shouted, flashing his badge to emphasize his point.

"Everyone!" Lily shouted, raising her hands over her head. "Please, return to the castle, catch up on your studies, or hang out with your fellow classmates!"

But when nobody listened and actually tried to get closer Bella shouted, "Go Now! Or we will deduct fifty points each from your Houses!"

With that the mob quickly dispersed, clutching their autographs and disappearing in a final cloud of smoke.

Sighing heavily Lily sat down on the already spread picnic cloth, which was of the Slytherin colors with the snake in the middle, and watched as Regulus emptied out the contents over the snake.

There were reuben sandwiches, treacle tarts, various fruits, and mashed potatoes. There was silver flatware, forks, spoons, knives, and emerald crusted goblets, which filled themselves with the special butterbeer Bella had brought.

Severus sat beside Lily on the left, next to her once-injured wrist, as though she would get hurt again he left her side. Bella was on her right, taking the sandwiches from Rudolphus, who was beside her, and Regulus completed the small circle around the food between Rudolphus and Severus, his eyes flicking between the fiery looking newcomer and at Severus. He often saw the looks Severus kept giving her and was sure he felt something more than just friendship going on between them.

"I really didn't think he would take it that hard," Lily said once her plate was filled.

"Who? Potter?" Regulus said with a grin. "Don't worry about him Lily. From what I saw coming out here, Potter's popularity has reached an all-time low."

"Really?" she asked, listening intently, a spark in her eyes.

"Really," he answered, after swallowing a bite of his potatoes. "Once that mob found out what he did to you in the Hall, they chased him from the hospital wing all the way to the Astronmy Tower and threw hex after hex at him. They kept shouting some things at him, and not just hexes. They shouted things like 'disgrace', 'coward', 'hypocrite', and several profanities I dare not mention."

Grinning, Rudolphus continued, "Yes. I saw it all as well. By the time McGonagall came to got him out of the Astronomy Tower he looked worse than when he dumped a barrel load of dragon dung over Professor Sprout last week. Covered in hex marks, tentacles, horns, and various other things I can't describe while we're eating."

Laughing with the others for what was like the umpteenth time that day, Lily started to fill more a ease around her former foes.

This did not go unnoticed by Bella, nor by a figure that was staring at the blot of red in the middle of the black circle underneath an Invisibility Cloak with tears of sadness and hatred in his eyes.

It was only by remembering McGonagall's warning that James Potter did not take out his wand and hex the crooked nosed Prefect when he saw him place his hand over hers. It was only through what self-restraint he had left that he did not steal the pretty lioness away from the snakes around her when that certain one had moved closer to her, and she close to him, holding his hand back.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: The Interhouse Wager**

It was an eventful Monday morning when the students went down to breakfast in the Great Hall. The mail had come early that day and both Lily and Potter were already buried in letters. Though both were very different in regards to what happened over the weekend.

Lily's pile consisted of apology letters from the Gryffindor Quidditch team, assorted flowers from her male admirers, and consolation chocolates from her female admirers.

Potter's pile, on the otherhand, was mostly cut-and-pasted notes threatening his very being, envelopes filled with hot bubertuber pus, and, last and least wanted, a Howler from his parents. When he touched the red envelope it opened up and an angry voice echoed around the Hall.

**"JAMES DANIEL POTTER!**

** HOW DARE YOU TREAT A WOMAN THAT WAY OVER A MEANINGLESS PRANK! WE ARE ABSOLUTELY ASHAMED OF YOU! YOUR FATHER AND I DID NOT RAISE YOU TO ACT THAT WAY TOWARD ANYONE, LEAST OF ALL A SCHOOL PREFECT!**

** IF YOU DARE PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE YOU WILL BE DISOWNED IMMEDIATELY! YOU HAVE BROUGHT SAME TO YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY!**

** THIS IS YOUR FIRST AND LAST WARNING FROM US!"**

With that the letter burst into flames and a resounded silence filled the Hall.

Potter was completely shaken, as though the severity of the crime he had committed finally hit him in the face. Not only was he sitting at the end of the table alone, but his friends had given him the cold shoulder and his own parents had threaten to disown him. He had tried to speak to them and try to explain, but they turned deaf ears to his pleading. Even Sirius, his longest and loyalist friend, was not up to hearing him out.

Worst of all, when he looked at the further end of the table, he saw Lily amoung a gaggle of her friends and admirers giving him the same hate-filled look as she had done in the infirmary. It made him so sick he felt like he was going to vomit than faint. That filling only increased when he saw Severus motion for her to sit with him at the Slytherin table, and she actually got up and did so, amoung the amazement of the other students.

The silence did not last too long, much to the relief of the guilty party.

Professor Dumbledore stood up and called the attention of the entire Hall.

"Good morning students, teachers and staff! I hope you have all had a restful sleep last night. If you have, then you are all ready for the day. If not, my sympathies and condolences to you.

"Now to business," he continued after a slight pause. "As you all know, it is around this time of year that the Dueling Club usually meet for the preparation of the their annual Dueling Tournament. However, as of today, any and all further meetings have been canceled."

Many whipsers and protests came from many of the students. All except for the club's president, vice president, and overseer, Lily Evans, Severus Snape and Professor Flitwick.

Raising his hands for silence, Dumbledore spoke again, "The reason for this is because there will be an Interhouse Dueling Championship Tournament. Each House will have a preliminary tournament to determine their champion, then all four House champions shall duel in order to claim the title of Hogwarts Champion.

"I will now leave further explainations to the Dueling Club's president, Ms. Lily Aurora Evans," he concluded to the sound of whistles and appaulse as Lily went up to the podium.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Lily said with a smile. Then she turned to face the other students, who had quieted down to give her their full attention, especially the boys, who had moved further up the tables closer to the stage.

"Every fifteen years this event has been held at Hogwarts for as long as its establishment. It is a proud tradition to carry on, and must not be taken lightly. The purpose of the tournament is to sharpen, not only one's spellwork, but also the duelist's reflexes, quick thinking and resourcefulness with whatever is around him, or her, at the time. The awards and previlages are not given lightly, so you must be prepared.

"In order to make sure that none may try to take this too lightly, here are the rules, and I suggest you all listen carefully," she added, looking at three certain Marauders at the head of the table while ignoring the outcast at the far end.

"First of all, nobody under fifth year may participate in the actually dueling. However they may attend the events pertaining to the tournament, which I will explain later.

"Second, there will be a total of eight witches and eight wizards competing in their House Preliminary Matches. Each witch will paired up against each other, as will the wizards. The final witch and wizard standing shall duel to see who will be their House Champion. A sign up sheet will be posted in your common rooms, as well as a schedule later on.

"Third, after the House Champions have been decided, nobody is permitted to tell anybody outside of their House who their champion is during the entire tournament. Any one caught breaking that rule shall not be allowed to join in the upcoming events to follow, and shall lose fifty points from their House total.

"Finally, in order to determine the winner of each bout, the opponet's wand must be knocked out of his or her hand wand three times." Lily paused at this point to allow it all to sink in before continuing. The Hall was all a buzz about who they thought would be their House champion and who were going to participate.

"Now, for the events and prizes pertaining to the Tournament," she continued when everybody had quieted down. "First off, after the House Preliminary Tournaments, at which time the House Champions have been determined, there will be a Yule Ball on December the twenty-fifth. You are encouraged to bring partners from other years or other Houses.

"Next, there will be a special prize given to each of the House Champions to hide their identies. I am now pleased to show you all the House Champions' Armor."

With a flick of her wand, a long glass case had been revealed from under the stage, and inside of it were four sets of armor that looked like each of the House symbols.

The Gryffindor armor was a golden lion, with clawed boots and gauntlets tipped with rubied for the nails. The helmet was shaped like a lion's head and the eyes were clear rubies that could hide the color of the wearer's eyes, but still permitting the wearer to see without their sight being disturbed by the red coloring. The tail was wrapped around the waist and the chest was stamped with its House crest. At the side was a thin scabberd to hold the owner's wand.

The Hufflepuff armor was a pale-gold otter, with its own boots and claws tipped with ebony for the nails. The helmet was shaped like an otter's head with ebony eyes that shared the same property as the lion's ruby eyes. Its tail was also wrapped around its waist and it had its House crest stamped on its chest, as well as a scabberd.

The Ravenclaw armor was a bronze eagle, with sapphire tipped clawed boots and feathery gauntlets. Unlike its brothers, save for the helmet, crest and scabberd, its design had the wings folded around the body like a sapphire lined cloak, completely layered to show the feather patterns.

Last was the Slytherin armor. It was silver and emerald scaled up and down its body, making it look like it was smoother to walk in than the others. Its eyes were narrowed and emerald green, and it showed its crest more profusely than the others.

After many oohs and aahs from the crowd, Lily proceeded with her speech, "Each suit shall be secretly given to the House Champions at different times, and shall be fitted to conform to the height of the champion. Once the wearer's wand is in the scabberd, it will be charmed to hide its identity as well, so the opponet cannot determine who's it is.

"The two Champions of the semi-finals shall claim a replica of the opponent's crest to be combined with their own. Once all of the crests are combined into the Hogwarts crest it shall hang from the Champion's neck for the remainder of the year.

"Not only will the Champions' armor be displayed in their common room once the tournament is over, but the Hogwarts Champion shall recieve a grand total of two hundred points to be added to their House total at the End of Year Feast for the House Cup, and will also recieve full marks in his or her Defence Against the Dark Arts exams.

"I hate to disappoint the OWL and NEWT students, myself being one, but this does not apply to our tests. Only the classes," Lily concluded.

Even at the news that the additional credit would not be going on their OWLs and NEWTs, the students could not help but give a hearty round of applause as Lily said an inaudible thank you and returned to her guest seat at the Slytherin table.

When the bell rang to go to their first class the students could be heard talking about the tournament. Some excited that it was happening that year so they could experience it, others worried that they were not good enough to be one of the sixty-four contestants, and the rest were discussing about who they wanted to go to the Yule Ball with.

"I'm guessing you two are going to be entering the tourney then?" Bella asked Lily and Severus as they were about to separate for class.

"I am," Lily answered, excitement in her voice at the opporutunity of retaining her title as Gryffindor Champion. "Professor Flitwick said it would be okay for members of the Dueling Club to go ahead and submit their names, so I did. Besides, as club president it is my duty to represent my House as well as the club," she added quickly as Regulus gave her a crooked smirk.

Wrapping her arm around Lily's shoulder Bella said, "You really need to stop justifying yourself, Lily. It's no crime to want to be the first in anything before everybody else. It's quite natural for someone as determined as you are."

With that she, Rudolphus and Regulus left for their respective classes while Severus and Lily walked to their Potions class, talking about the prospects of the tournament since they had both signed up earlier.

When they got to the dungeons the door was opened and their potions master, Professor Slughorn, ushered them in. When he saw the pair come in he broke into a huge smile, which he saved just for his two best potioneers.

"Ah, Ms. Evans and Mr. Snape! Good morning to you both! I trust you both have already signed up for the tournament?" he asked as they made their way to their seats at the front of the class, sitting beside each other as usual.

"Yes sir. We have," Severus confirmed with a nod.

"Excellent!" the pudgy professor said, clapping his hands together. "It would be nice to have two champions in my House once this year is over."

"Two champions in your House, sir?" Lily asked, confused as Severus was.

"Oh, did I say that out loud?" he asked, a look of worry crossing his face. "Well, we better get started. Class, since the news of the tournament has gotten everybody overly excited, we will be brewing a very helpful potion called the Draught of Peace. Can anybody tell me what that is?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

Severus raised his hand and answered, "It is a calming draught so powerful that the drinker will immediatly be put at ease, and stay that way for a period of time despite whatever else maybe going on."

"Excellent. Ten points to Slytherin. Now, can anyone tell me what types of situations the Draught would be used for?" he continued.

"The Draught can be used when the drinker is under sever stress due to a near-fatal accident, traumatic experience, or overstimulation to the point that he, or she, is on the verge of going mad. It is often used in the medical field to help patiants relax before they are treated to any form of healing regiment," Lily answered, still puzzled about what the professor said earlier.

"Very good. Ten points to Sl- I mean, Gryffindor," he corrected quickly before turning to the rest of the class. "Even though this Draught is often used for such cases, as Ms. Evans previously stated, it can also be abused. If taken too often, or in large doses, this calming potion can be used to cause sever stupors and make the drinker subcessive enough to do things he, or she, would otherwise deem too stressful or dangerous.

"Considering this you are all forbidden to drink it. However the fumes are not as powerful and, due to the overexcitement of recent events, this will act as a temporary calming insence while it is being brewed. So, pair up and be careful not to breath in too deeply," he concluded as he made his way quickly behind his desk, avoiding the emerald and obsedian eyes that were following him.

"What do you think that was about?" Lily asked her partner, Severus, after she gathered the ingrediants while he lit the fire under their cauldron.

"I don't know, and, believe me Lily, if I knew I'd tell you," he replied. Then they both turned to the brewing instructions and began their task.

After an hour into the lesson- as it was a double period- Professor Slughorn came around the class, inspecting everybody's cauldrons and rating their performance. He took a careful sniff at one pair's potion before turning his head quickly away, as it had smelled of dead skunk instead of pinestraws and grass. Another he passed by at a run after looking into the container, only to find that it was about to erupt in an orange, sticky goo.

When he came to Lily and Severus's table he took a quick glance and a gentle sniff before smiling at his star pupils. Their's had turned the proper shade of sky-blue and smelt of fresh pine straws and cut grass. Though he still avoided their eyes, which were not in the drowsy-calm stupor many of their classmates were in. They were careful not to breath in the fumes and wore white masks that they had conjured to block out the fumes.

"Excellent work, you two. Absolutely brilliant! I wouldn't expect less of my two favorite Sl- students," he said, trying to cover up his mistake. "Twenty points awarded to both of you, and an early release from class."

With a flick of his wand he bottled up a small flask of their concoction and vanished the rest. Then he headed to the back of the classroom to continue his inspection, and only passed by one, lone student without so much as a glance. That student was James Potter.

He truely had reached an all-time low on the popularity scale. Since the "incident" in the Great Hall last Saturday no one would give him a second glance, unless it was to throw daggers or flash dirty looks. He was utterly alone and miserable, and it only increased every time he saw his enemy and longed-for crush together in an usually close proximity.

"They'll probably wind up going to the Ball together," he thought sadly, trying to block out the images he had of them together, dancing and having a good time. "I can't face going home for the Christmas break. I can't participate in the Dueling Tournament because of the ban. My friends won't talk to me, and possibly won't ever again. What else can go wrong?"

As soon as he thought that his potion overflowed and drenched his table, books, parchment, quill and himself in a deep blue dye. By the time he got it to stop he closely resembled a peacock without the fan of feathers. To make matters worse Professor Slughorn saw the whole thing, and so did his friends.

Luckily, Lily and Severus already left before the potion fiasco and were heading outside to sit in their usual spot by the lake. On the way they met Professor McGonagall, who stopped them from going any further.

"Ms. Evans, Mr. Snape, where do you two think you're going during class?" she asked in a suspecious tone.

"It's okay, Professor," Lily said, showing her a roll of parchment with Slughorn's handwriting on it. "Professor Slughorn gave us permission to leave early since we completed our assignment before everybody else."

"I see," she whispered, scanning the letter. "I suppose it is like him to play favorites amoung his Sl- students."

"Sorry Professor," Lily said, catching what she almost said. "But I have a feeling something is going on between you two. Could you please explain? He made the exact slip up twice during class."

Resigning to the truth, Professor McGonagall ushered the two Prefects into an empty classroom nearby, and closed the door. She sat behind a desk and motioned for them to do the same thing before speaking.

"I have been an instructor here for a long time," she stated. "I have prided myself to uphold the traditions and expectations of my predessors, and I have not been ashamed of any of my decisions...until now."

Looking at her red headed pupil, she continued, "Ms. Evans, before you made the official announcement of the Dueling Tournament, Professor Slughorn and myself restarted an old debate of our's since your arrival four years ago. As you are probably aware, Professor Slughorn has made it quite obvious that he wanted you to be in Slytherin since you brewed your first potion with flying colors, and has often tried to convince me that I should transfer you in.

"'She belongs in a House that can nurture and grow her abilities,' he said. 'A House that sees her full potential for greatness, and not just her bravery.'

"And I told him, 'Horace, you know perfectly well that house placement has nothing to do with a student's potential. It has everything to do with a proper education and the encouragement of friends.'

"Then he replied, 'She could make better friends with better connections, if she were in my house. She already attends my little get togethers, but I believe being in the proper house with the proper company can help move her forward.'

"Soon our debate got so heated we...made a wager, concerning the tournament...and you," she said, looking at Lily with a sad look.

"What kind of wager, Professor?" Severus asked in Lily's stead, seeing as how she was too stunned to speak herself.

"If the Gryffindor Champion loses to the Slytherin Champion, then Ms. Evans..."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: The Snake's LAER**

"'Gets transfered to Slytherin House'," James Potter repeated to his fellow Marauders at dinner.

The Marauders were back to being friends again, much to James's surprise and delight. After what happened in Slughorn's classroom his friends saw the look of sadness and defeat in his eyes, and decided to make amends with their friend.

"James may lose his temper from time to time, but he is truely sorry about whoever gets caught in the crossfire," Remus thought when he saw what happened, and came to his aid along with Sirius and Peter, who were all too happy to be friends with him again.

"How can Minnie make that bet with that old slug?" Sirius asked, food flying everywhere as he slammed his fork down. "I mean, does she expect our champ to lose to the first opponet that comes his way or something? Not a chance!"

"I agree," Remus nodded, putting his fork gently on the table. "If we want to keep our favorite lioness in the den, then we need a plan."

"Good annie-al-loggy, Moony," Peter said.

"It's pronounced 'an-al-lo-gee'," Remus eunciated, shaking his head.

Laughing for what felt like forever, James said, "Okay, now that the English lesson is over, we need to do what Moony suggested and keep Lily in Gryffindor."

"Here's a plan," Sirius said in-between mouthfuls, "we enter the prelims, beat the competition, and win for Gryffindor. Then we win the Hogwarts Champ title and Red stays."

"There's just two things wrong with that," James said in a serious tone. "One, I can't enter because that damned ban, remember? Two, what's with the 'we' stuff? You guys might be able to enter, but you can't all fight in the semies."

Swallowing his mouthful, Sirius replied, "No, you can't enter, but that doesn't mean you can't coach us. Look," he said, drawing their full attention toward him as he whispered, "we each have our own strengths in certain areas of spellwork. If we teach each other what we know than whichever of us moves on to face off against our witch opponet will be ready to claim the House title. Get me?"

Smiling at this James said, "Yeah, I got you, Padfoot! If one of us makes it to House champ, we'll coach him and he can take the main title from the other House chump."

"That might actually work. Nice idea, Messr. Padfoot. Maybe you ought to be the new brains in this little group of ours," Remus said coyly as he thumped his friend on the back, a little too hard, since said friend's fork went flying out of his hand and into Peter's drumstick.

"Hey!" Sirius cried, and grabbed another fork from an unoccupied plate before he started shoveling more food in his mouth.

As that end of the table was consumed in laughter, the other side was anything but. This time Lily was sitting alone, picking at her food and glancing every now and then at the staff table where Professors McGonagall and Slughorn were eating their meals with somber looks in their eyes.

Lily knew she should not be angry with them, but she could not help it. She recalled what happened when McGonagall told her about the wager.

"A transfer to Slytherin House!" Lily exclaimed. "Professor McGonagall, how could you and Professor Slughorn do that? Should a _student_ decide for herself whether or not she wants to transfer to another House?"

"Yes, Ms. Evans," McGonagall said, looking distressed. "But I have made a Wizard's Deal with Horace. I can't back out of it, and neither can the Gryffindor Champion."

"A Wizard's Deal?" Lily asked, confused through her shock.

"A Wizard's Deal is almost like making an Unbreakable Vow," Severus explained. "But instead of dying if you break it, you're to be the victor's servant until you die. Once the bet has been set, nothing can break it. It's severly frowned upon, especially if you're gambling."

Nodding McGonagall explained further, "Since we made this Deal both of our House Champions must fight each other, but they cannot lose to another House opponet on purpose, nor can they make a draw of the duel."

"So," Lily slowly said, comprehending, "even if I don't become House Champion, someone else will have to uphold the bargain. Even if the Gryffindor and Slytherin don't make it to the finals, they still have to duel each other?"

"Exactly. Now, you both go on your way and practice to the best of your abilities," the professor said before leaving her seat and leaving a very thunderstruck Lily looking at the floor.

"I can't believe that old crone and that fat slug did this to me!" Lily thought angrily, stabbing her baked potato so hard it broke in half. "The tournament hasn't even started and already I'm a Slytherin!"

She remember the slip ups both of them had said, nearly calling her a Slytherin whenever they talked to her. That kept happening the rest of the day, and many people were starting to get the gest of what was going on. Except for the Wizard's Deal part, everyone else had heard what went on between the two Heads of House.

_"You make it sound like that's a bad thing,"_ her other half whispered. _"What would be so bad about going from ruby and gold to emerald and silver anyway? Sev made it clear to you before Hogwarts that you would make a good Slytherin. Besides, it would make your relationship easier to grow if you were in the same House as him."_

Lily shook her head at the thought, but it would not leave. She could just see the both of them on a deep green couch in the Slytherin common room, books opened but laid forgotten. They had their arms around each other like they did in that dream they both had that previous summer, and kissing fiercly with only the snake banners watching them.

"Stop it!" Lily thought as she continued eating. "You're NOT going to be in Slytherin. You are going to win the GRYFFINDOR Championship, and you're going to win the Hogwarts title for GRYFFINDOR. So forget about the professor's wager and start practicing your dueling!"

With that thought in mind Lily ate her food with much more confidence than she had before.

On the other side of the Hall, at the Slytherin table, five boys had their heads together in a whispered conversation. These boys were the members of the rumored Lily Evans Fan Club, only instead of consisting of the other Houses, Gryffindor excluded of course, it only comprised of Severus and four other boys.

This club was called "The LAER (Lily Aurora Evans Rehousing) Group". Bellatrix may have had orders from the Dark Lord to bring Lily over to the Dark Side, but what she did not know was that the Group had been established just for that purpose since first year.

What she also did not know was that Severus, himself, was the one who started The LAER Group, which consisted of only the Slytherin boys from his year. There was Avery, who liked Lily for her spunk; Mulciber, who secretly lusted after her more than anybody else in the school; Karkaroff, who took immediate interest in her due to the superior aura she possessed; Rookwood, who admired and respected her for her dueling skills, and Severus, who loved and longed for her since he was only nine years old.

When he told the other members of Slughorn and McGonagall's Deal they were overjoyed.

"This is better than we thought," Avery whispered.

"Indeed," Karkaroff agreed. "Vith Lily in our House, ve vill not only have achieved our goal, vut ve vill have a capable vitch to join the Death Eaters."

Rookwood achknowledged this with a nod in-between bites of food, but Mulicber's eyes wandered to where Bellatrix was sitting with Rudolphus before he whispered, "But what about Trixie over there? Even if she keeps up her performance, it's only a matter of time before she goes back to trying to curse Lily to oblivion."

"That can be easily remedied," Severus said with a smirk. "I just got a message from the Dark Lord himself, courtesy of Lucious Malfoy, and he stated 'Once Ms. Evans has renounced her parentage and accepted my offer, I shall give you, Mr. Snape, permission to do what you see fit to Ms. Bellatrix Black.' Apparently the Dark Lord will have no further use of Bellatrix once Lily joins us and her mission is complete."

"So he is only using Trixie to get into Lily's goodbooks, and is planning to brush her off later," Rookwood stated, smiling mischieviously at the Group president. "What do you plan to do with her, anyway, Severus old buddy?"

"Simple. I will leave that for Lily to decide. She never really liked Bellatrix, even after the 'kindness' she has shown, and she is still wary of her," he explained. "I've seen the look Lily gives our House slut behind her back, so, I can guess, once she is officially one of us, she will make her life a living Hell."

That last part ended with quiet laughter from the others as they each imagined what Lily would do to her rival. They never liked Bellatrix in the first place, and when they found out that they would have a better witch in exchange for the sleep-around sorceress, that only increased their determination to have one of them win the Slytherin Championship and make Lily an official Slytherin.

The next few days had flown by due to the excitement of the upcoming Dueling Tournament. Every student in their fifth through seventh year has been seen in the library, checking out books on advanced dueling techniques, proper wand movements, and other relative topics. Some could be seen in empty classrooms with friends practicing the spells, and others were busy trying to create banners and badges for their soon-to-be House Champion.

Finally, the day had come for everyone in the four Houses to see who would be the first sixteen witches and wizards to duel in the preliminary rounds. The Gryffindor Preliminaries were to be held on that Saturday in the Great Hall, from nine in the morning to twelve noon. The other Houses Premilinaries were to be held the same time for the next three Saturdays.

The first three of the Gryffindor contestants were easily expected. They were Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Lily Evans. What was unexpected was that Peter Pettigrew, Mary MacDonald and Sheila Finnigin had also signed up.

"You girls are entering too?" Peter asked as they departed their common room for afternoon classes.

"Well of course, Pete," Mary said.

"Lily can't always be our Champion. We have to learn to take care of ourselves, and we can't do that if we're always standing behind her while she defends us," Sheila added before looking at her auburn locked friend before concluding. "_She_ may be the one who will need defending if we ever separate."

"Why do I sense a double-meaning to that?" Lily thought, then shrugged it off as she went her way to double Ancient Runes.

When she got there she took her usual spot behind where Severus sat, in front of the class, but he was not there.

"Where could he be?" she asked herself as his seat was being taken by another occupant from Ravenclaw.

It was one minute until class began when Severus finally showed up, completely red in the face and panting from the long run to beat the bell. He flopped into the first empty seat he could find... right next to Lily.

"Hey Sev," Lily whispered as the bell rang and the professor walked in. "What happened?"

Taking a few minutes to regulate his breathing he whispered back, "I had just finished posting the names of the Slytherin House contestants and dueling schedule when everyone came rushing into the common room to look. I had, somehow, got under a mass of feet and had to crawl out from between the crowd's legs, even after I held yelled my Prefect status and tried to stand up.

"After that incident, I had to run back to my dorm and grab my books. But when I opened the door I saw Rudolphus and Bellatrix...actting inappropriatly on my bed," he blushed a deeper shade of red at that, as did Lily.

"To make a long story short, they were furious that I walked in on them and I had to summon my bag while dodging hexes and thrown pillows before I closed the door and ran for it," Severus said, the blush on both their faces ebbing away.

"You deducted points off, of course?" Lily asked raising her eyebrows.

"Yes of course," Severus said, giving her a small smile. "Despite what others may say, I don't play favorites, even if the offenders are my friends and Housemates."

"I wouldn't expect nothing less from you Sev," Lily said smiling back and turning to face the professor, who was just starting the lecture.

**"Nor I from you, my love,"** he thought as he took notes along with everybody else.

"Now then class," Professor Periwinkle said after a thirty minutes of note taking, "we are going to be practicing writting and translating messages to each other in mixed runes. Using your notes and textbooks, begin writting your messages to the person sitting next to you. When you both have perfected using and translating mixed runes, I want you to combine your writtings as a joint-written letter to your Heads of House. I also want you all to reference what texts you used in writting it.

"But be warned, the letters must not be inappropriate and they will be handed to me before class ends. Whatever thoughts or feelings you have about your Heads of House, kindly keep them amoungst yourselves. You may begin."

Turning to Severus's textbook and Lily's notes they both started writting their mixed runes messages to each other, Lily's being first. Afterwards they swapped and began translating them on separate pieces of parchment. This took another good thirty minutes, since Lily and Severus loved to challenge each other, but they finally finished and swapped back their papers to check to see if the other was correct.

Lily's message to Severus was translated:

"Dear Sev,

I still can't believe Professors McGonagall and Slughorn made that wager! I mean, who do they think they are, using a person's House placement like a meaningless poker chip? Didn't they even care what position that put both of their Champions in?

But, despite all of this, I am going to try my hardest to win the House and Hogwarts Championships. I just hope _you_ are willing to do the same. I would rather face off against you than anybody else from Slytherin.

You're a better duelist and a better wizard than anyone else I have ever known or met.

Lots of luck,

Lily"

At this Severus had smiled, and handed Lily his response, which was translated:

_**"Dear Lily,**_

_** I agree with you one hundred percent. They should have know better than to try to take somebody else's destiny and use it like a gambling bit, as though it was worthless. We are under enough pressure as it is, what with OWLs, the tournament, Prefect duties, and the upcoming Yule Ball, we don't need the fate of our Champions hanging in the balance.**_

_** I am honored, by the way, that you consider me a worthy opponent. However, if I **_**am**_** the Slytherin Champion, and we **_**do**_** face off against each other, I will not hold back either. So I hope **_**you**_** are prepared for the tournament as well.**_

_** You are also a more than capable duelist and witch than anyother I had known or met. I knew that the moment we first met six years ago, and I still stand by it.**_

_**Best wishes,**_

_**Sev**_

_** P.S. Just out of curiousity, what will you do if it's Bellatrix or another Slytherin that you face off against?"**_

Keeping her face expressionless, Lily wrote a response to the post-script and handed it to Severus, who translated rather quickly because it was short.

When he had finished it was translated:

"Dear Sev,

If it's another Slytherin, I'll just duel them like usual- fast and bored. If, however, that Slytherin is Bellatrix... well, let's just say that it will make quite a show.

I don't like her, even after she's shown such 'kindness' to me, and I know it will only be a matter of time before she lets her true colors come out again.

Besides, won't that be the only reason why anyone would want to come out and see her make a bigger fool of herself than she already is.

Eager for the chance,

Lily"

Finished reading it both of them made eye contact, and Severus saw a sight that made him very happy and scared- not for himself, but for Bellatrix- because it was the same look she held at the beginning of the year.

It was Lily smiling at him wickedly and her eyes were glittering with exciement of the thought of showing up Bellatrix in front of the whole school.

**"Just as she had looked when we conspired against Potter."**


	14. Chapter 14

**Aurthor's Note: I'm sorry for the delay on this, but I'm new to this site. I made an account a few days ago, but I had this story made earlier and wanted to share it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series, but I am a big fan and I respect her work. Thank you and enjoy!**

**Chapter 14: The Gryffindor Champion**

That Saturday morning all of Hogwarts woke up very early than what was usual, at eight in the morning. Even though the other Houses were not permitted to watch each others' preliminaries, they could still feel the excitement in the air and that increased their own determination to win for their own House.

When breakfast was finished in a record time thirty minutes the other three Houses left the Great Hall and returned to the new routine of practicing their dueling and cheering. The Gryffindors were left to occupy the other tables while some of the teachers went out the great oak doors to stand guard and keep other students from entering until the preliminaries were over.

At nine o'clock all four tables were sent to both sides of the Hall, and two long stages, one red and one gold was conjured up in the middle of the empty space. The students gathered around and the Head of Gryffindor House, Professor McGonagall, stood on the center of one of the tables and addressed her students at large.

"Good morning," she said and was pleased to hear the unified cry returned. "Today we shall be holding our Preliminary Tournament to see which young witch or wizard shall be given the honor to represent Gryffindor House in the Hogwarts Dueling Championship.

"When I call your names I want each of you to go to your respective stages. The gold stage on the right is for the wizards, and the red stage I am on is for the witches. I will then pair you all up and you will each take a card with a Roman numeral on it to see which pair will duel first.

"Once we have our one female and one male duelist standing, the stages will merge and we will find out who our Gryffindor Champion is. Let us begin," she concluded.

After a few minutes the sixteen students were called and paired up. Lily was paired against Mary; Sheila was paired against Alice Prewett, a seventh year; Remus was paired against Frank Longbottom, a seventh year; Sirius was paired against an excited-looking sixth year named Alan Jordin, and a scared-looking Peter was paired against a broad-chested seventh year named Davy Dipper.

Drawing the first card Lily and Mary saw that they would be going first for the girls; Sheila and Alice were going third for the girls; Remus and Frank were going second for the boys; Sirius and Alan were going third for the boys, and a relieved Peter and his opponent were the last for the boys.

Taking their positions on the stages the girls and boys began their first bout. Lily and Mary's match ended fairly quickly, as Lily had more than enough experiences dueling in the Muggle and wizarding worlds, and she moved on to the second round. Sheila and Alice's match was a little more intense but, finally, Alice Prewett had moved on to become Lily's new opponent. Remus and Sirius did not have too much trouble disarming their opponents, though the same could not be said for Peter.

The moment his opponent shouted a spell at him Peter dropped his wand and ducked to the laughter of everyone except the other Marauders, they groaned and hid their faces in their hands.

"C'mon Petey!" Sirius cried. "Concentrate!"

"Remeber what we taught you!" James yelled.

"You'll be fine!" Remus encouraged.

"He's a gonner," they all thought sadly.

That became very true in a few short seconds. Peter's wand was knocked out of his hand twice. Once by Davy's Disarming charm, and the last because Peter's hand was sweating and it just slipped out.

"In the second round," McGonagall announced after the laughter had died down, "For the qualifying witches champion title, Ms. Lily Evans, Ms. Molly Prewett, Ms. Natalie Lynx, and Ms. Alice Prewett! For the wizards' champion title, Mr. Davy Dipper, Mr. Warren Price, Mr. Remus Lupin, and Mr. Sirius Black!"

Once the cheers and applause died down the professor continued, "The girls will go first. After the winner has been decided, the boys will duel, and soon we will see who will face off to be the Gryffindor Champion."

With that the crowd gathered around the red stage to watch Lily and Alice duel. They approached the center of the stage, bowed, and took ten paces back to their respective sides. Wands held at ready Alice began the duel.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Protango! Immobilia!" Lily countered with a couple of flicks of her wand.

Alice's Disarming spell came back at her. She dodged but her legs were locked together by the other spell. She fell and her wand came out of her hand.

When Lily lifted the spell off her Alice took her wand and the duel recommenced.

A few minutes later Lily was made the victor, though it was close. Alice had managed to blast her wand out of her hand on the second try, and Lily had reciprecated with another blow. Then Alice sent an 'aquamanta' spell at her and Lily had barely hung on to her wand long enough to send the final blow to Alice.

Molly and Natalie's duel was short lived, and soon Natalie was declared the winner.

They had met in the middle and shared a respective handshake before getting off the stage to watch the two remaining Marauders face their opposition. Remus was paired against Warren, and Sirius was left to face Davy.

Dipper may have intimidated Peter, but there was no such luck with Sirius. The moment their duel commenced Sirius shot out four spells straight at his opponent. Three of the shots disarmed him three times, and the fourth made a pair of tentacles about from Davy's ears.

"I thought he was going to block the last one, and I shot that little hex too soon!" he said to McGonagall as she reprimanded him for hexing his opponent while unarmed.

Naturally Sirius was disqualified and Davy moved on to face Remus, who won his duel with Warren.

After the five minute reprieve the qualifying rounds between the witches and wizards finally began. Another five minutes later Lily and Remus stood victorious, and ten minutes were given to the two Gryffindors to strategize and prepare for the final bout.

"You can do this Lily!" Mary encouraged her friend as Lily drank down a large goblet of water.

"Show those guys what a real duelist can do!" Sheila said, thumping Lily on the back so hard she spat out her water. "Sorry."

Grinning Lily wiped her mouth off and said, "Don't worry about it, Sheila. And don't you lot worry either," she added, addressing her fellow witches. "I'm not about to play the 'defenceless maiden' with Mr. Remus 'the Scholar' Lupin, even if he IS a Marauder and my fellow Prefect!"

As the crowd chorused out her name the Marauders were having a heated discussion about how the events had turned out.

"Why the bloody hell did you pull that stunt Sirius?" James exclaimed.

"It was instinct! Pure reflex!" Sirius said, trying to calm his best friend down. "I just couldn't stand that Dipper bloke's smug face when he humiliated Wormtail here," he wrapped his arm around a whimpering Pettigrew for emphasis.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he kept whining.

Shaking his head the Prefect of the group said, "Look guys, we anticipated something like this was going to happen. The best we can do is hope that I win against Lily."

"You're right," James said, calming down when her name was mentioned. "We DID reason that this would happen, and that is why we need to stick to our plan. This is for her, afterall."

Sirius thumped James on the back and said, "Quite right, mate. Now, let's win this thing Mooney, and keep Roary Red in Gryffindor where she belongs!"

"No pressure," Remus mumbled and the Marauders broke off with a laugh.

The long, solid white stage had appeared in the middle of the Hall and the witches and wizards took their respective sides at the ends of it as Professor McGonagall came onto the center of the stage.

"The final for the Gryffindor House Champion is about to begin!" she exclaimed and the whole House burst into applause. "On the left side, representing the Gryffindor wizards, Remus John Lupin!"

Remus went up on stage to the applause and cheers of his fellow wizards, with the loudest cheer being from his fellow Marauders shouting, "GO GET HER, MOONEY!"

"On the right side, representing the Gryffindor witches, Lily Aurora Evans!" the Head exclaimed and a renewed burst of shouting and clapping filled the Hall.

Some of the girls shouted "WITCHES RULE THE SCHOOL!", and others chorused out "GO TIGER LILY!" Even Potter made a spectacle of himself and shouted "MAKE HIM HOWL, EVANS!"

"WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON?" the guys, including a red-faced Remus, shouted back at him and Sirius pushed him into an empty corner of the Hall to talk some sense into him.

"Like you said before, mate, instinct! Pure reflex!" James said, blushing like crazy at his mistake.

"Try to remember that if you do that again it's your ass," Sirius said, dragging his friend over to the others. Then he said to them, "Don't worry! He'll be good now!"

Giving each of the students a stern look to silence them, McGonagall continued, "Remember, after our Champion is decided, there is to be absolutly no mention of his, or her, identity. If any of you," her gaze lingered on James, "were to divuldge such information you shall be severally punished and make Gryffindor lose fifty points, and our chance of winning the House Cup."

With that she got off of the stage and sent a wide Shield Charm over it, so the crowd had to back away about ten feet.

Meeting in the middle the Prefects shook hands, exchanged fair wishes to each other, bowed and returned to the respective ends, wands at ready.

"On the count of three!" McGonagall shouted.

"One!" the girls screamed.

"Two!" the boys exclaimed.

"THREE!" they all chorused...


End file.
